Sea Day

Yesterday was our last sea day as we made our way to Yokohama, the debarkation port for this sailing. We had a relaxing day with a late breakfast, lunch at Dive In (great hot dog!!) and an afternoon nap. We got ready for dinner and spent some time chatting with Jo at the Gallery Bar.

We caught a great sunset on our walk to dinner.

 Then it was one last dinner. as we walked to the dining room we were presented with one last sunset in the Land of the Rising Sun!! We both got the salmon/tuna sashimi, seafood spring roll and sweet and sour fried shrimp. 

Plus an amazing cheese plate!! Never seen one so elaborate on a cruise. Very fancy!! All very good!!  

Then it was one last stop at Pinnacle Bar to see Freddie, Alfred and Benz!! 

 We are now waiting on the ship for our debarkation number to be called. We have a 9 AM HAL bus transfer to HND. Our flight isn't until 3:45 PM. We have a few "errands" to run at the airport such as returning our WiFi box and exchanging some JPY for the next currency we'll need. One clue? That country also uses a dollar.

Hakodate, Japan

Today we were in Hakodate, our last port of call on this fourteen night sailing. We took a ship excursion which went to three places. First stop was to the Red Brick shops. I thought this was going to be a touristy spot with cheap souvenir shops. Instead it had a lot of higher end stores in addition to other local shops. I saw so many interesting things. Hakodate is famous for squid and they have it for sale in many different ways from dried and shredded to salted and vacuum packed to squid gummies. There also seems to be a fascination with corn and potatoes. So many places had vacuum sealed corn and potatoes that were in a butter sauce.  

While we were there we also tried the famous hamburger place called Lucky Pierrot. 

 I tried what I believe is the signature "Lucky" burger. It was an interesting flavor combination.

 The burgers are actually hamburger steaks instead of a patty. Hamburger steak is ground beef mixed with other ingredients such as onions and bread crumbs. Closer to a meat loaf but not as firm. They are popular in Japan because they are a less expensive way to feed a family. It came with some yellow mustard on the bottom, a slice of tomato, American cheese and a marinara-like tomato sauce. The marinara made a lot of sense considering it was similar to a meat loaf.  

We headed back to the bus and it was time to visit Mount Hakodate. The tour was supposed to use the ropeway (tram) but the high winds (gusts up to 60 km/h) suspended operation. Luckily they had a plan B and the bus drove up the winding switchbacks. And what a glorious view from the top observation deck!!   

Plus we saw great cherry blossoms on the drive up the mountain.

It was time to head to our third destination which was the Morning Market. Every port we have been to has one. The market was directly next to where the ship was docked. Our tour guide had us put our name and cabin number on a list if we were going to walk back to the ship on our own. Which is what we did. We walked around a bit and saw such amazing seafood. In addition to squid, Hakodate is also known for scallops. I've never seen shells so big!! And so much crab!!  

We decided to get some lunch. The place we went had a twenty minute wait. They provided us a map to their secondary location which was about five minutes away and would have minimal wait. The hostess even walked us out into the street and pointed us in the right direction. The Japanese continue to be so kind in so many ways. We got to the restaurant and were seated immediately. They had tanks you could see as you walked in with all the seafood including the giant scallop shells. 

 We knew we would be ordering some scallops and squid. We also ordered a chef's choice sashimi. Angie saw the chef pull the scallop from a tank. The scallops came out first. 

 Without a doubt it was the freshest and tastiest scallop I have ever had. Simply cooked with butter and its own brine. The chefs sashimi had squid, more delicious scallops (raw this time) and a mystery sashimi. It might have been some kind of eel. It didn't have the fleshy quality of a fish and was a bit chewy. It was all very tasty.   

By far the best dish was yet to come!! A magnificent grilled squid!! With just a little sweet soy sauce. And a dipping sauce which we think was Japanese mayo and yuzu juice. That sauce really brought out the flavor of the squid. And I don't know how they managed to keep the squid so tender. 

 Much like the fatty tuna sushi I had at Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, this squid may have spoiled me from any other squid or calamari I order in the future. We also had a couple of Sapporo drafts which went so well with the squid. I also have to mention again the amazing attention to detail there has been to pouring the perfect pint. Each and every beer we order has the perfect head of foam. And is served at an appropriate temperature. In the right kind of glassware. The Japanese know what they are doing. And there have been some very good local beers. I expected to come to Japan and perhaps sample some different styles from Asahi, Sapporo or Kiriin. Instead I've been overwhelmed by the quality of the other local beers.  

One last stop in our last port of call in Japan. Why not go to a brewery? So we did. The bus had driven by Hakodate Beer earlier in the morning so I had it on my radar. It was a short walk from the restaurant. We sampled a few of their beers which were all true to style. Our favorite was called "Luxury Beer" on the menu. I'd say it was an Imperial Ale since it was 10% ABV. Plus, it came in a very fancy mug. 

 That was delicious without being boozy. The amber, pale ale and altbier were all very good. We also tried some beer flavored soft serve. It was interesting. A bit malty and sweet with a slight hop flavor. It lives up to the description and I enjoyed it.

It was then rime to head back to the ship. It was about a 15 minute walk. But took a bit longer with the gusty winds. It is good preparation for the next part of our adventure. No spoilers. More to come on that soon.  

Tomorrow we have our last sea day. We had unpacked two weeks ago. Now it's time to repack everything. We'll get our last batch of laundry back tonight. Having the unlimited laundry package has been a huge help. And inexpensive at only $7.95/day per cabin. We know all the stuff fit on the way here, so it will fit now. Just have to remember how we packed it.

Aomori, Japan

What a full day of adventure today on Aomori!! It started when we got on the bus and we saw one of the mascots of Aomori. Meet Aputan a dog with an apple hat!! Apples are very famous from this region, so why not have a dog with an apple hat?   

Our first stop was to see Showa Daitbutsu or better known as the Great Buddha at Seiryu-Ji Temple. This was a large complex with an incredible Buddhist temple where you could walk around - with your shoes off of course. Many gongs around the area that people were ringing. I felt that would be disrespectful. Also saw some Zelda lanterns and something illusive: a trash can!! Those are not very common in Japan - yet the cities are remarkably clean. And of course, the star attraction, the Great Buddha himself!! He stands over 21 meters tall!!  

It was then time to head to our included lunch. Our guide said we'd have a Western style lunch and there would be salad and roasted chicken. Didn't sound like we'd be experiencing any of the local cuisine. I had low expectations.  

We showed up to the most amazing wedding reception venue. Just beautiful inside. And they had banquet tables set up just like an actual wedding reception. 

 We had a soup and salad course. The soup was so tasty. It was glutinous rice with barley and pea. So creamy and flavorful. And the salad course was more than just salad. There was a somewhat traditional green salad. But there was also a scallop, a salmon roll and what I think was a boiled turnip with some creme fraiche. The scallops from this area are very famous. 

 The main course was roasted pork with minced local apples, fish and "chips" (really french fried julienned potato) and a chicken thigh with a great marinara. The local apple is the Fuji apple so it was fun to try it. 

The dessert was inspired by the cherry blossoms. It included a cherry blossom preserved in salt. 

 All so satisfying. And unexpected. Absolutely the best included excursion lunch I have ever had.  

Our next stop was to Sannai-Maruyama Special Historical Site. This is where the ruins of a very large Jomon settlement were found. They were planning on building a baseball stadium in 1992. And when they started digging they unearthed the settlement. Burial mounds, pillars and underground structures. All very interesting to walk into and through.  They kept two of the original dig sites preserved. This is 5,000 year old dirt with pottery remanents in it. 

These were the original holes for large pillars. 

After the ruins, we headed to Aomori Prefecture Tourist Information Center better known as ASPAM. We started with a couple of movies. The first was all about winter in Aomori. The next was a fascinating short 3D film about the Nebuta Festival. All these amazing lighted floats, dancing and music. We'd be learning more about that at our final stop. Before we did that, it was time to try a local beer. The beer in Japan has all been exceptional and this was as well. 

I also got a vending machine treat: strawberry ice cream cone.

Our last stop was a museum dedicated to the Nebuta Festival. I had not heard about this festival before. And I had only seen the short film at ASPAM. The festival is held every August 1st for seven days. It's origin has many different theories. One is that it was done to bring prosperity to the farmers. Many other theories exist. It goes back in some form as far back as the year 710 when lanterns made from bamboo and paper were used. The more modern use of floats is thought to have started in the early 1800's when Kabuki theater was popular and those characters were depicted on floats. The creation of the float frames was originally bamboo but eventually moved to wire due to concerns for fire safety. The process to make them is fascinating. It is wood, wire, special Japanese paper, LED lighting and paints. What the artists are able to create from modest materials is more than impressive!! Seven and a half hours after we left the port, we were back on the ship. Rested a little in the cabin and now heading to get dinner.  

Tomorrow we will have our last port of call in Hakodate where we have another (shorter) ship excursion. Then a final away say and back to Yokohama on Monday.

Otaru, Japan

Today we were in Otaru. We started the day with some breakfast in the buffet. We then needed to wait for the Japanese immigration staff to set up in the main theater. Since we had just come from Busan, we had to officially reenter Japan. They had a ticket number system. I had gotten up early a few days ago and the lowest number I could get was 15. They started the process at 10:20, calling numbers 1 and 2. By about Noon number 15 was called and we went to the theater. We had to wait about ten minutes but were processed and able to leave the ship about 12:20.  

Otaru, like the other places we visited, is an old port. The difference here is there is a canal.whereas.the other ports had piers. The canal is what was used to bring cargo from the ships into the vast warehouses and eventually into local shops. After the canal was no longer needed, the city was planning to fill it in so the city roads could be expanded. The residents didn't want the canal, which was such an improvement part of the city. to just disappear. So they protested and the city compromised by keeping some of the canal in its original state. Since it was such an integral part of the city, we decided to take a canal cruise.  

It was a 30 minute walk to the canal cruise office. We got there at 1PM just as one cruise was leaving. We bought tickets for the 2PM cruise and went out to find some lunch. The tickets were 1800 JPY per adult (~$13.81 USD). Luckily there was a restaurant only a few blocks away. We started with some pan fried dumplings.

 Then Angie ordered pork ramen. 

I ordered a spicy fried chicken which is one of Otaru's signature items. We also ordered two highball cocktails made from Nikka whiskey which is distilled locally. All very good and satisfying. This was 4080 JPY (~$31 USD).

After lunch we walked the short distance to the canal cruise office and boarded our cruise. 

 You were given a life belt to wrap around your waist as well as ear buds so you could listen to the narration. It was available in both Japanese and English. It was an interesting 40 minute cruise. You learned about the various old warehouses, many of which had been repurposed as restaurants, bars and retail shops. And some are still used as warehouses. Great glimpses of the mountains. And yes - that is snow on the peaks. 

After the cruise we headed to the local Otaru Brewery. Once you stepped inside, it was like being in a German beer hall.

 We ordered a Dunkel and a Hefeweizen. Both were some of the best in style of these beers that I have tasted. And of course when you're in a Japanese German beer hall, you order a pretzel!!  

It was time to make the 30 minute walk back to the ship. On the way, we found a vending machine with snack foods. I was interested in trying this. It was a little hard to interpret, even with Google Translate. But we were sure that the food would come.out hot. So I selected some fried chicken and dropped my 420 JPY (~$3.23 USD) into the machine.

 Then it was the usual "clunking" from the machine. It seemed to happen too quickly. Would it be hot? I pushed the glass at the bottom and grabbed the item. It was frozen solid. Certainly not ready to eat. How disappointing. :-( I guess the expectation is that you would grab these on your way home and then heat up in your microwave. Of course we have no such option on the ship. So it went in the trash on our walk back. I'll never know what it tasted like. I should have some more research.  

We got back onboard and are now sailing to Aomori We have an all day ship excursion tomorrow where we will visit some ruins, visit a natural park, see a Buddha and have a local lunch.

Sea Day

Last night we participated in the shipboard Bar Hop! Each bar had a cocktail and game with prizes. One had a flair bartender as well as a Jagermeister Bomb!! And another had a flip cup competition!! Very fun group activity.   

Today was a sea day and we spent a lot of time relaxing. After a mid morning breakfast Angie spent time finishing a video. I went to the gym for some elliptical and weights. Lunch was a special Mariner Society lunch. The Mariner Society is the name of the loyalty program in Holland America Line. Very good lunch of salmon and shrimp salad, artichoke pea soup and grilled barramundi with Thai noodles!! The fish was so tasty with just enough fish sauce and spice!! Dessert was the most delicious chocolate cake with pistachios and caramel.  

After lunch we headed back to the cabin for an afternoon nap. We had a happy hour in our cabin, enjoying the sake we had purchased a few days ago. It was as good as we hoped. We headed to our last Gala dinner. It wasn't the most successful night in the dining room. Angie's escargot was okay. I ordered a jumbo shrimp cocktail that was just average. The sunchoke soup was creamy but lacked much flavor. And we both ordered beef tenderloin for our main. It was really disappointing - especially considering how great it was on a prior night. Angie's was so tough she couldn't chew it. Mine was a little better but had no seasoning or flavor. The worst dinner of the cruise.  

After dinner we tried our luck in the casino. The Rakin Bacon machines seemed like they wanted to pay out, but instead we made a donation. We then headed to the Pinnacle Bar and chatted with Freddie and Alfred. It was then time to head back to the cabin. 

Tomorrow we will be back in Japan at the port of Otaru. We don't have any excursions planned. There is a face-to-face Japanese Immigration process we need to complete before we can head to the gangway. There are quite a few things within walking distance of the port. Our plans will be dependent on when we can get clearance. There is an interesting canal area and a place called Sushi Street with about 100 restaurants.

BUSAN, South Korea

Today we were in Busan. We had a terrific private excursion from Tours By Locals. We started with a drive to Hae Dong Yong Gung Temple which was built in 1396, mostly destroyed in the 16th century when Japan invaded and then rebuilt in 1930 and 1974. I saw a lot of temples in China on our two trips. And more temples recently in Japan. I think this has to be the most fascinating and amazing one. And it is so scenic and breathtaking being right on the water. 

 Such an amazing entrance with all the animals that represent your birth year. 

 My birth year was represented by the dragon which happens to be the theme of the temple. Angie's birth year is represented by the snake. Such a beautiful place.  

This pagoda was donated by taxi drivers for safety on the road. 

We then visited the Gamcheon Culture District. This was an encampment area for refugees starting in the 1950's and during the Korean War. More recently the Korean government saw an opportunity to improve the area by having local artists come and liven up the spaces. Many amazing finds everywhere you look on the narrow streets!! Watch for motorbikes and trucks!! Plus all kinds of shops and food stands along the way. 

We then headed to our final stop which was the traditioal market and the international market.  We've been to several on this trip. The others I never felt I could have gotten lost. I felt that way here and was so glad to have a guide who knew her way around. We stopped for some lunch. She helped me pick out a few signature items. Several kinda of tempura including squid, shrimp and dumplings. Also gimbap which is like a sushi hand roll. Plus Korean Fish Cake prepared two ways. One was steamed in a broth. The other served with rice cakes in a flavorful and spicy sauce.  

For dessert we had hotteok It's a yeasty dough that is fried on a flat top. Then once cooked, it is opened up and stuffed with chopped peanuts, seeds as well as cinnamon and brown sugar. So tasty! Like the best cinnamon donut.  

We headed back to the port and encountered a huge line at immigration. It appeared that all the ship excursion busses must have arrived back atport at the same time. There had to be at least 500 people in line. It took about twenty minutes to get through and go where the ship was. And then we saw another huge line. They only had one gangway open. Certainly poor management by the ships senior officers to not have another gangway available for all these people they knew were coming back. But we did get back onboard an are now sailing back to Japan. We will be in Otaru on Thursday. We have another sea day tomorrow.  

Tonight will be Holland America Line's Orange Party. This is a party where they celebrate HALs 150 years of operation in addition to their Dutch heritage. We have attended them before on other HAL ships. They'll have special "orange" cocktails (likely the Beefeater Blood Orange Gin) plus several special passed appetizers. That will be at 9:30. And before that we have a Bar Crawl starting at 9PM which will visit several of the bars. They will have a special cocktail at each bar as well as games.