A Paradise Island Called Mauritius

Mark Twain once wrote that God created Mauritius first, and then Heaven, and that Heaven was based off of Mauritius. After spending just two short days on this oasis in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I can see what he meant.  

 

To start the day off, a group of friends and I had taken a public bus to the town of Curepipe, in the center of the island, near Trou-aux-Cerfs, the volcanic crater. When we got off the bus at our stop an hour outside of Port Louis, it was drizzling again and we sought shelter inside a bakery. It happened to be lunch time, so we treated ourselves to some local desserts. Food is culture, right? Anyway, on our way out of the shop, Zach and Miche had stopped behind to talk to a local. When he walked up to introduce himself to the rest of us, we learned he was a retired physics professor who had taught at universities all over the world. When we asked him where his home was, he presented us with a photo of our planet, taken from outer space (aww). This man, Mr. Mungur, told us all about his home in Mauritius, which was just a few kilometers from the crater we were trying to find. He said if there were fewer of us, he would drive us around. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, the 7 of us graciously offered to squish into his little hatchback. (“Three of you will have to sit in the boot!” he said.) I swear, we must have looked like a bunch of clowns at a circus getting in and out of that car! He drove us up to Trou-aux-Cerfs, where we had the most incredible view into the now forested crater. It was considerably smaller than the caldera at Kilauea, and was perfectly circular. I couldn't believe that this little hole at the top of a mountain had spewed out enough lava to form the entire island- 11 times as big as DC- just 8 million years ago! From the crater's rim, we could see the stunning landscape 360 degrees around, and as the mist and clouds lifted, the mountains in the distance became even more impressive.

 

While we were taking pictures, I met another local man named Popi, who beautifully expressed how welcoming Mauritians are to travelers. They see everyone as a brother or sister, and invited foreigners in with open arms. This was obvious to me, as every person we passed smiled right at us. Mr. Mungur said it delightfully, that the people of Mauritius are as diverse as a rainbow, with a colorful blend of histories, cultures, and religions. People come from India, Madagascar, France, and England to name a few, and most locals speak at least 3 languages. The religions of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam pervade the population, and every person treats each other with a respect I haven't seen anywhere else in my travels so far. Mauritius was like a unique blend of India, Hawaii, and France, in a way I never could have imagined.

 

From Trou-aux-Cerfs, Mr. Mungur drove us to his home, which he was in the process of renovating. He showed us some family photographs, and brought us to the roof balcony where he and his wife eat breakfast each morning, looking out into the gardens below. His friendliness and silly sense of humor reminded me of my father, and made me think of just how much I miss home. Homesickness on this trip is a strange blend of missing the familiar, yet never wanting to return to that same familiarity which makes life back home so ordinary. Hard to explain, and I'm planning to put off thinking about returning home until I absolutely have to!

 

After endlessly thanking Mr. Mungur for completely putting a halt to his day to show us around, we were driven back to the Curepipe bus stop. Only then did he reveal to us that before retiring, he worked for NASA. We had found ourselves a real, live rocket scientist to show us around his home! Truly, it doesn’t get much better than this.

 

 

The Peaceful Backwaters of Kerala

After 14 hours on a train across Southern India, we arrived in the West coast state of Kerala, which appropriately means “land of coconuts”. As I watched the greenery whiz by the open train car door, brightly painted homes and tall palm trees dotted the sides of the railroad. It couldn't look more different from Chennai. In fact, I could have sworn I was back in Vietnam!

When Kristina, Nick, Jenn, and I arrived in the Allapuzzah Train Station, we took a rickshaw towards the Greenpalms Homestay where we had reserved a room for the night. The roads could only take us so far though, as the home was across a river. We loaded into a canoe and helped paddle ourselves to the other side. If the water was a slighter darker shade of brown, I would have been convinced I was in the Mekong Delta again. Luckily, it was not nearly as hot and humid in Kerala. After 3 days in India, I had already grown accustomed to the sweat and dirt, and simply accepted it as a fact of life.

When we arrived at the river bank, we were welcomed into the homes of Thomas, Matthew, and Maria. We were among many other travelers from all over the world- Switzerland, Canada, and Germany, to name a few. Kerala has a very large Christian population, as compared to the Hindu majority in the rest of the country, and outside, we could hear several church services being conducted down the street in the local language, Malayam.

The village was quaint and peaceful, and as we took an exploratory walk along the river, we saw women washing their clothes and men bathing in the water. We followed the iron-orange dirt path through the trees and over bridges, passing smiling children who were running through the saris left to dry on the clotheslines in the sun. This place exuded friendship and community, and Thomas took the time to explain so many aspects of village life and history, from the expansive rice fields to the efficient water irrigation system.

That evening, all of the guests at the homestay were invited on a boat ride through the village. The cool dusk breeze was refreshing as the abrasive sun finally sank below the horizon. As we moved quietly through the waters, Thomas and the locals who were paddling the boat began singing a beautiful traditional folk song that originated in the fields of Kerala before slavery was abolished. When they finished, they asked us to sing folk songs from our respective countries. No one volunteered at first, but after a few minutes of tension, we all broke out into “Don't Stop Believin'!” Not quite a folk song, but it did the trick. It was dark by the time we returned to their home, and we all relaxed for a while before eating the best home cooked meal I have tasted on this trip so far. Even better, in the morning, the mother of the house opened up her kitchen to and gave us all a cooking lesson! I think it's only fair for me to post the recipes for you all. Don't follow the measurements too closely- I was approximating by watching her. I could be pretty off, so use your best judgment!

“Merhukku”

Coconut oil

3 cups Chinese potatoes, sliced 1 cm thick

3 cups coconut, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 stems of curry leaves

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tbsp salt

½ cup red onion, sliced

¼ cup green chili

Pepper to taste

1. In a wok, heat coconut oil

2. Add curry leaves, turmeric, and salt. Stir.

3. Add red onion, green chili, and coconut. Stir 1 minute

4. Add Chinese potato. Stir

5. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes

6. Add pepper and stir.

7. Serve over rice

“Thoran”

 

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 cups grated coconut

½ tsp mustard seeds

1/3 cup shallots

1 stem curry leaves

1/3 cup red onion, sliced

¼ cup green chili

2 cups green onions

½ tsp turmeric

1 tbsp salt

1. Heat coconut oil in wok

2. Add mustard seeds and let them pop

3. Add shallots and curry leaves, and stir when shallots have turned golden brown

4. Add green chili and red onions. Stir 1 minute.

5. Add green onions, stir and cover 15 minutes.

6. Add turmeric, salt, and coconut.

7. Serve over rice.

“Fish fry”

 

Medium sized tuna (2 lbs?)

2 tbsp Chili powder

2 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp turmeric

salt

pepper

1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste

1 cup water

Coconut oil

1 stem curry leaves

1. Mix all spices together and add water to make a paste

2. Cut fish into 2 inch diameter chunks. Wash.

3. Cover fish pieces with pates and marinate for 30 minutes

4. Fry fish in pan of oil with curry leaves.

“Sambar” (vegetable curry)

Can substitute this with pretty much any vegetables you want!

Lentils

Dahl

onion

green chili

papaya

cucumber

tomato

drumstick (looks kind of like an english cucumber)

coriander powder

chili powder

turmeric

coconut

okra

potato

1 tsp asafoetida powder

pinch of fenugreek powder

Add all together, cook over medium heat for ½ hour.

“Papadam”

These are thin pancakes made from kidney beans, and they come packaged like small tortillas.

1. Heat 1 cup coconut oil in small pot.
2. Add one papadam, let fill with air for 45 seconds
3. Use a flat slotted spoon to strain it from the oil before removing.
4. Place in sealed container to cool before serving.

Enjoy! Note: You must eat all of this with your (right) hands or it won't taste nearly as good. I promise.

Chennai, India... A Bustling City of Color

I heard a saying while I was in India which goes, “In America they drive on the right, in Britain they drive on the left, and in India they drive on the sidewalk.” This could not be more true! Ok, so maybe they don't drive on the sidewalks per se, but the sidewalks are so rarely used by pedestrians that the streets become one huge walkway. Driving on literally the wrong side of the road is the norm, as long as you honk to alert others of your presence. I will admit that I couldn't have been happier to spend my stay in Chennai with the Rao family, being driven around by their family driver in the safety of their car!

 

After many email exchanges prior to my arrival in India, I was able to connect with Venkat and Padma Rao, the siblings of my mother's co-worker back in Maryland. I had spent the first afternoon on a trip with Semester at Sea to Mammallapuram, a complex of ancient stone temples built along the shore. Upon arrival back at the ship, I was instructed to call the Raos' driver, who would be waiting for me outside the port gates. I don't want to scare you all, but this port area was shady to say the least. It was about a mile's walk from the ship to the outer gates,  through the dirt roads congested with loading trucks and speeding motorcycles. By the time I was to meet the driver, it was already dark and I was walking alone. I expected to see him right at the first gate, but he was nowhere to be found. I kept going along the street, being verbally harassed by the mobs of rickshaw drivers who were trying to get me into their vehicles. One actually tried telling me that my driver had left to take another job! Eventually, I realized I would be wandering in the dark for a long while if I didn't try calling this man. I asked an auto driver for his cell phone and as soon as he took it out of his pocket, a huge gathering of 30  rickshaw drivers crowded around me to see what I was doing. I decided it was best to take a rickshaw to where the driver was waiting, and ended up paying way too much for a 2 minute ride. I didn't care though- I was happy to find the car! It was a 30 minute drive to Venkat's house in the city, and I was so relieved when I arrived.

 

The whole family was so gracious in welcoming me into their beautiful home. I met family member after family member and must admit that I can barely remember all of their names! Still, it was so nice to be around a big family again after not seeing mine for two months. We talked for a long time over snacks about my study abroad program and my experiences so far, and then about their lives in India, both growing up and also raising their kids. I found it so intriguing how our two societies have so many similarities, yet the fundamental backgrounds of each culture are so contrasting. It was clear that life in the cities is much more comparable to that of the US, while the rural areas are more reminiscent of the 5000 years of Indian tradition. Around 10 o'clock, we went down to the dining room for dinner, which I had worried they had eaten without me since I didn't arrive until 8! It was absolutely delicious, and the first of many fantastic Indian meals. I love eating with my fingers, especially after a month of fumbling with chopsticks. The curries and masalas were fantastic, and I must send out a thank you to Danielle and Dibya, my roommates last semester, for preparing me for spicy cuisine!

 

I had a lovely night's sleep in their guest room, and awoke refreshed in the morning. When I left my room, I found Venkat's mother awake in her room, sipping her tea while watching a soap opera. I asked if I could sit with her and she graciously obliged. She spoke very little English, and I'm sad to say I failed to learn any Tamil while I was in Chennai, but we were able to communicate with each other despite the language  barrier. Above the television in her bedroom was a wall full of family photographs. She pointed to pictures of her own parents, as well as all of her children and grandchildren. At that moment in time, it really hit me how there are families all over this world, just like mine, who pose for photos together to remember each other when they are not together. I couldn't help but think of my own family photo that hangs on the wall of my cabin and the old Polaroids of my own grandparents and aunts and uncles that were taken when they were young.

 

For the rest of the day I was shown around the city by Padma and her husband. I was able to get in touch with Kristina and Nick and they happily joined us. We went to Mylapore temple and Venkat's restaurant, Palimar, where we were completely mystified by how tasty the cauliflower was! India has made us all into believers of cauliflower (I thought it couldn't be done)!

 

It was just a fabulous day and I am so thankful to the entire family for welcoming me into their home and dedicating their entire day to myself and my friends. It made my experience in Chennai truly unforgettable. Around 5 pm we were dropped off at the ship to pack our bags for our train to Alleppey. Unfortunately, I have no exciting train story for you this time. We all got seats on the train (we had been on the waitlist for some days) and though there were a few cockroaches, it was nothing I couldn't handle. Best of all, we were well prepared with snacks this time!

 

The other side of the world in Vietnam (12 hours ahead of the East Coast!)

This was supposed to be posted on March 10th, but it didn't go through. Please bear with me!

 

A new entry here is long overdue. I feel bad for taking so long to finally write, but I had no idea just how exhausting country hopping while taking midterms (and a final exam) would be. Now that I am finally catching up with everything, it is already time to arrive in India! We dock in Chennai tomorrow morning, and I don't think I'm nearly as prepared as I should be. I guess that's part of the beauty of this trip though: just as I'm coming up for air from one country I'm thrown into the next without a second thought. I don't really have a choice- whether or not I am ready for South Asia tomorrow, it will be right there waiting for me in the morning. Not only have I been using these last five or so days to soak in Vietnam, but I've needed it to absorb Japan and China, too. Two days in between countries was almost like a sick joke Semester at Sea plays on its students, tempting us with the concept of rest, but instead, dropping us off at yet another foreign country!

So here I am, about to reflect on Vietnam. It was incredible. It was hot and muggy and the streets were swarming with motorbikes, but it was absolutely stunning. It was the first country we've been to so far that is really in the upward swing of development. I know Shanghai has grown exponentially in the last 20 years, but I have only seen the skyscraper version. Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon, as the locals still insist on calling it) has no real defined skyline, and at night, the sky is dark above the 14th story. They are still in the motorcycle stage of development, and taxi companies are just starting to have a presence. Every cyclist is required by law to wear a helmet, unless he is a passenger under the age of 10. The women ride their motorcycles completely covered from head to toe, but not out of modesty. They wear zip up jackets, long pants, stockings under their sandals, hats under their helmets, sunglasses, and a large cloth that covers from their nose down to their neck, all to keep the sun from darkening their skin. Meanwhile, I was sweating in my tank top and shorts!

My trip to the Mekong Delta was quite possibly my favorite part of my time in Vietnam. It was an overnight trip organized through Semester at Sea, and the only one I signed up for. (Many people go for days with SAS to the Great Wall in China, the Taj Mahal in India, or spent 3 out of our 5 days in Vietnam on a trip to Cambodia.) There were about 40 of us, mostly students, but about 8 or 9 were either faculty, staff, or their children. We woke up bright and early to bus down to the delta. I slept most of the ride, but when we got to our destination, I was in awe. We all piled in to a riverboat led by our guide, and around me were seemingly endless trees lining the Mekong river. The river itself is brown and shallow, yet its the source of life for the majority of Vietnam's population. They bathe in it, drink it, wash their clothes in it, and live on it, as they travel the delta's waterways on their small boats to the floating markets. Each boat, though identical to the rest at first glance, was uniquely personified. Following an ancient tradition to ward of river spirits, on the stern of each boat is painted a colorful set of eyes. And from a pole rising from each boat, hangs whatever item is being sold, from pineapples to onions. We rode through the floating markets for some time, observing the lively activity and being offered soft drinks from children who rowed up next to our boat. The whole time, I kept checking myself... I could not believe that I was in Vietnam, riding on a boat down the Mekong River!

We stopped off in a village that was bustling with activity. Along the dirt roads there were no real houses or buildings, only large, open air structures with tin roofs. Under one, a man was boiling a vat of salt in order to purify it. In the next area, several people were working together to make coconut toffee. Starting from a ripe coconut, they showed us the process of melting it and mixing ingredients, and then stretching and cutting the candy to be hand wrapped and packaged. The business behind them was making rice paper, I had no idea just how versatile rice was, but I shouldn't have been surprised, considering Vietnam is the second largest producer of rice in the world! The rice paper was made into several forms: round like a tortilla to make spring rolls, small irregular shaped pieces of hardened crackers (tasted a just like corn flakes) and long sheets of paper used to wrap and preserve candy. Across the way, people were making puffed rice, like rice crispies. They popped the rice like it was popcorn, and then sifted out the dirt and unpopped rice. The finished product was then mixed with caramel in large sheets and cut into pieces and packaged. It was so interesting to go from one section to the next and see all of these people working so efficiently to make these products.

I don't think my trip to the Delta would have been complete without trying all of the delicious fruits that were growing everywhere. Not only did they have tiny bananas and coconuts to drink right out of, but they had lychee, mango, papaya, guava, dragon fruit, and jackfruit. By my third day in Vietnam, I was all fruit-ed out!

Even though I had a blast in Vietnam, I don't think it had the same kind of impression that the rest of the ports have had on me. Which is the opposite of what most people I've talked to have said. Maybe the level of development there felt more in the way, rather than feeling like an enhancer of my experience, or maybe I've never had a strong connection to the Vietnam War, and other people were affected more because we were visiting a place where American troops fought so recently. That said, after walking on the same soil where our own soldiers fought not so long ago, and after going to the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels, I have a much greater interest in what it is that the soldiers my age are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I can't believe it has already been a week since I left Vietnam. For that matter, I can't believe Hawaii was 6 weeks ago! The time is flying by, and I'm doing my best to follow Don Gogniat's (our Global Studies professor) travel tips:

1) It's all about the people

2) Keep your feet on the ground

3) The more you know, the more interesting the trip will be

4) Never let your age get larger than the number of countries you go to (that will be a toughie...)

5) Stop and smell the roses

6) Find a park bench and let the world pass you by

7) Try to appreciate why someone is smiling with you at any moment

And with that, I say- India, here I come!

In Transit, China

After spending four full days in Shanghai, the three girls and I took it easy the last day. We went to People’s Square again, this time with our new friend, Edward, a 23 year old from New York looking to start a business in China. I was surprised how refreshing it was to be around an American who was not a “SASer”. Even though in port I’ve had many interactions with locals, their extent is really limited by how much I manage to communicate without knowing the language. It was nice to see a new face and actually be able to explain the concept of Semester at Sea and my experiences so far.

 

After spending some time in an underground mall (that is actually a converted bomb shelter!) we decided it was about time to head over to the train station to head over to Hong Kong. But to our surprise, somehow Noel was missing. She had been with us just 5 minutes before, and it was out of character for her to just wander off without telling one of us. We took turns searching the mall, while one of us stayed at the store we last saw her at, hoping she would turn up. After frantically searching for 20, then 40, then 60 minutes, we had exhausted all of our options. We tried asking the security guard to use the intercom to page her, but with the language barrier, it took at least fifteen minutes to explain ourselves, and eventually we learned that since we didn’t speak Chinese, we couldn’t page her. We had 45 minutes until our train was scheduled to leave, and we realized we had no other choice but to go to the station and hope that she found her way there. We caught a cab and sat in Shanghai traffic—it was just our luck that our first experience with highway congestion was when we were late for our 18 hour train! When we got dropped off, we ran through the terminal Home Alone-style, found our platform, and frantically showed our ticket to the station workers. They yelled in Chinese and pointed forcefully in the opposite direction towards the exit! Panicking, we spotted a Chinese woman motioning us to follow her. We compared tickets to check that we were both going to Hong Kong, and she led us to the customs line, since traveling to Hong Kong is considered crossing a border out of mainland China. We threw our bags into the x-ray conveyor belts, and ran to the desk to have our passports stamped. I looked at my watch and we had 6 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart! We cleared customs and were directed out to the platform where the train was waiting for us. We ran with all of our bags to Car #8, almost completely relieved, still praying that Noel would be sitting in our cabin. We opened the door to beds 15-16-17-18 and lo and behold, Noel was sitting on the bottom bunk eating a snack. (Cue exhale.)

 

If there was one moment on this trip that felt like The Amazing Race, this was it. And the best part- it was a non-elimination round! Even though we had one package of cookies to last the 4 of us the entire train ride, we made the best of it by making our own subtitles to the bizarre religious movie on our personal TV, journaling, and best of all, sleeping for 10 hours. When I woke up at 8 in the morning, I looked out the window and saw the most beautiful countryside. Mountain ranges fanned out around the train tracks, dotted with houses and colored with carefully cultivated farmland. Hardworking farmers tended to their crops, even on this Sunday morning. The greenery raced past our window, and before we knew it, we were seeing signs for Hong Kong. After a long and exhausting journey, we made our way back to the ship. I never expected the feeling of coming home after a long day to rush through me like I did when the MV Explorer came into view. I had found the water again, and I was home.

 

Tonight I looked out into the dark waters after dinner, and realized how calming the black of the night is. Out in the distance, the black waves blend into the dark night sky, lit solely by the constellations. The engine murmured behind me and the misty salt of the seas sprayed gently on my face. It’s been five weeks, and the ocean already feels like where I belong... the world is my playground and, honestly, I couldn’t be happier.

Welcome to the Middle Kingdom, The People's Republic of China!

I just have to say, is this real life?! You all have no idea how many times I’ve had to do a reality check in the last week. I got back on the ship from China yesterday, and in two days I’ll be in Viet Nam. Two days is not enough time for me to process the last 8 days, and I still haven’t fully processed Japan! Shanghai shocked me. After spending time in Japan, I thought Shanghai, China’s largest city, would look a lot like Tokyo. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The buildings were just as tall, but the streets were dusty and empty for the New Year. Every skyscraper looked completely unlike the last one, with the most varied architecture I’ve every seen in one place. The Bund was filled with bulky British colonial buildings, and across the Huangpu River, the oddly shaped towers created Pudong, which was built up just 20 years ago. A grey haze hung over the skyline every morning as the city slowly woke up. I’m glad I spent a full five days there (most people stayed only two, and then flew to Beijing), because I was able to really get a feel for the city. The first day I was alarmed by almost everything- the unrecognizable food, the crazy driving (pedestrians don’t have the right of way), the pollution, the spitting and coughing, and the prevalence of Mao Zedong 30 years after his death. I did many things, like visit Fudan University’s Center for American Studies, which my Sino-US Relations professor directs, and the Shanghai Museum and the Urban Planning Museum in People’s Square where I learned all about the history of Chinese art and Shanghai’s future as a developing city. Over all, though, my favorite days involved going to Hongkou and Zhouzhuang.

 

My third day in Shanghai, Kristina and I walked to Hongkou, about 20 minutes northwest of where our ship was docked. This neighborhood was where many Jews settled in Shanghai when they were escaping Nazi Germany. When the Sino-Japanese war broke out though, the Jews were confined to a ghetto, called the Restricted Sector for Stateless Refugees. We found Ohel Moishe Synagogue, which is at this point, the only evidence that there was ever a Jewish population there. Now, the tenement-lined streets are filled with lower class Chinese families setting off a constant stream of firecrackers celebrating the New Year. Unfortunately, the Synagogue and museum were closed for the holiday, but we were handed a brochure and created our own walking tour. We saw the distribution center where families were sent to be placed, and the park where Jews would meet on the weekends. There was a monument in the center of the park with a description of the area written in English, Chinese, and Hebrew, but aside from that, it looked like any other park in the morning. The space was filled with women practicing tai chi and children playing ball. Once called Little Vienna, now the neighborhood has transformed to look like any other residential area. Everyone has been talking about how dynamic and rapidly changing Shanghai is, but it felt most evident to me as I walked around this once Jewish neighborhood, now completely devoid of any Jewish culture.

 

I really loved walking around town with just Kristina. It’s always fun to have lots of people around, but I think everyone has discovered that a pair is the easiest, 3 is the safest, and 4 is the best way to split a cab. It was great only having to consult one person about what we should do next or where we should eat. We went over to Doulun Cultural Street, where there were lots of interesting storefronts, including calligraphy stores, Christian bookshops, an antique store filled with old communist paraphernalia, and a tea house with a statue of Charlie Chaplin in front. The street was also home to the old meeting house of the League of Left Wing Writers, which has been converted into a museum. Unfortunately, all of the displays were in Chinese, so we weren’t entirely sure what we were seeing. We turned down a side street and it was like walking through a black hole. All of a sudden, we were completely out of place. There were women frying dough in the street, locals browsing tables of boxed fruit, and dried fish hanging everywhere. You should all be proud that I kept it cool as fish heads were being chopped off right before my eyes!

 

I wanted to keep these posts short, but I’m clearly failing miserably. So I’ll just write about Zhouzhuang. On the third night, the ship left for Hong Kong, and myself and 3 other girls stayed in a youth hostel. In the morning, we set out to find the sightseeing bus company that ran buses back and forth from the canal towns of Suzhou and Zhujiajiao. Once we got to the station, the woman at the ticket office said there were no trips to either of those places that day. When we asked where they were going, she replied with “Zhouzhuang.” Completely mystified, we quickly decided to just go for it. So we hopped on the bus to a place that we could not even find in our travel guide, ready for a day of adventure. It turns out that Zhouzhuang is the oldest water village in the Shanghai area. It was about an hour long drive outside of the city, and is a tourist destination mostly for the Chinese. So as if we didn’t stand out already as 4 white girls, we clearly didn’t belong there! That said, it was the most incredible place. It felt like “real China” completely unlike the concrete jungle of Shanghai. The town was a complex network of alleyways and bridges, interspersed with old residences and souvenir stands. We walked slowly through the packed sidewalks, taking it all in. Eventually, we got to Quanfu Temple, an old Buddhist religious site. It was one of three Buddhist temples that I was able to see in China (including the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai, and the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas in the New Territories of Hong Kong) and it was beautifully ornate. I walked through courtyard after courtyard of sanctuaries filled with incense, and across bridges stretching over coy ponds. Though every aspect of the temples was gorgeous, I didn’t feel the same type of connection that I felt with the Shinto shrines in Japan. I’m interested to see how I feel in the Buddhist temples in India, which I expect will have a very different atmosphere.

 

So right now, I’m trying my best to get over the cold I caught (colds spread around this ship FAST), and reading up on Vietnam as fast as I can. For some reason, Vietnam wasn’t one of the countries I was really excited to see, but now that Southeast Asia is all I need to focus on, I really can’t wait to experience the culture. I’ll be spending two days on the Mekong Delta, and I’ll see the Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple, but other than that, I have no idea what I’ll do! Most people are actually going on a Semester at Sea trip to Cambodia to see Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Oh man, I can’t believe I didn’t even write anything about Hong Kong here. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to put up another post tomorrow before we get to Ho Chi Minh City!

All over Japan!

I'm sitting here now in the ship's computer lab with 10 minutes to spare before the China Diplomatic Briefing. I'm writing about Japan, but out the window I see the beautiful skyline of Shanghai. I'll get to that city once I get off the ship!

We arrived in Japan on Tuesday the 9th at the Port of Yokohama. Yokohama is essentially the main port access to Tokyo, so once clearing the ship at around noon, we made our way to Tokyo! The very first thing I noticed stepping foot in Japan was how immaculate the streets were. For being one of the largest cities in the world, it was absolutely silent. People talked practically in whispers under their breath, cars' slight humming noise was barely audible compared to the loud honking and traffic of New York City. And to top it all off, there are essentially no trash cans on the sidewalks. Occasionally I would see a recycling bin, but because it's considered rude to eat and walk, if you leave the place where you bought your food, you're out of luck in finding a way to dispose of your trash! I was shocked that the lack of trashcans had a positive effect on the cleanliness of the city rather than a negative one!

Anyway, we walked (quietly) to the train station and boarded the subway for Shibuya, the "young, hip" district, if you will. As one would expect, every train car was silent and clean, and surprisingly, even in the large Shibuya station, though it was filled with people, everyone moved with disciplined order, completely lacking the chaos and noise I would expect from Tokyo. We walked through the city to find the Meiji Shrine. Since I can't upload pictures, I would suggest google-ing it because it was beautiful.

In the middle of this huge metropolis was a forest, akin to Central Park in New York. The pathway into the park was framed by a giant Cyprus torii, the "pi" shaped structure indicating the entrance into a Shinto shrine. The gravel pathways winding inside the forest were very quiet, and completely unlike a park in the states where you would see couples picnicking and boys throwing Frisbees. Everyone walked in quiet reflection, taking in the nature and preparing themselves for the spiritual encounter with the shrine. Once we passed through several more toriis, we were at the outer courtyard of the shrine. Huge wooden buildings stood before us, simple, yet intricate at the same time. They were all painted white with dark brown thatching, blending perfectly with the natural scenery around us. We stepped through the gate into the main courtyard, and we had to literally step over the raised threshold so we were completely aware of our entrance into the sacred place.

When we were through, we were surrounded on all sides but long continuous wooden buildings, culminating in the main sanctuary straight ahead. Curious, I walked up the stairs to the sanctuary and witness something I didn't expect. True, I know very little about Shintoism, so I don't know what their prayer rituals were. Individuals walked up to a kind of basin, threw in a coin or two, and stepped back. They would then bow twice, and then clap twice and begin their personal prayers. When they were finished, they would bow once more and walk away to make room for others. My friend Amy and I decided to try it, and even though I am not Shinto, I think I found a religious connection in my own way. Looking straight ahead I saw the section of the shrine that was off limits, where the kami, or sprits, dwell. Looking up and around I saw the tops of trees, with no skyscrapers in sight. When I clapped I felt more alert to these surroundings and much more able to reflect on my life, my time on semester at sea so far, and of course, the fact that I was halfway around the world in Japan. When we finished, we stepped just outside of the main courtyard where a stand was selling good luck charms. They ranged from good luck in love to safe travels to passing an entrance exam. We saw the same charms in every other shrine we visited as well.

I have to go, so I'll finish this quickly. As you can tell, I'm not going to get to the other 4 days just from this one entry, but maybe after Vietnam I'll be able to sum up all the highlights. My second day I saw Mt. Fuji which was spectacular despite the clouds. The third day was spent essentially in the electronics district of Tokyo. Our fourth day was in Kyoto, and my last day was a home visit in Kobe.

Gotta go to China! Love and miss you all!