A Voyage to Croatia

After completing a “bucket list” voyage to Egypt, Ray and Traci decided to return to the Mediterranean and visit the beautiful country of Croatia. Their adventure started on Alaska Airlines' new non-stop 787 service from Seattle to Rome. Alaska departed on time at 5:30 pm and arrived in Italy at 1:15 pm local time. No stops and a 10-hour overnight flight provided some rest in the air. Once in Rome, Alaska Air passengers had to take a shuttle bus from the gate to immigration and then wait in a lengthy line at the new automated border control system. It took Ray and Traci about 80 minutes to leave the airplane and meet their pre-arranged car service. The European Union has been notorious for lengthy delays at immigration so Ray and Traci’s experience was fortunate compared to some other reports.

After a 1 hour ride, Ray and Traci were dropped off in the heart of the city at the Hilton Garden Inn - Rome Colosseum. The hotel was next to the Manzoni metro train stop, and was walking distance to the Colosseum. Also, using Hilton Points earned from his stays working in the Yakima NICU, 2 nights were free! Check-in was easy, and they found their 5th-floor room to be a bit small but in great condition (the hotel was recently renovated and renamed from a Best Western to a Hilton Garden Inn). Dinner was at an Italian restaurant across the street called “Ristorante Feelsgood” which prepared some nice al dente pasta for the tired couple. 

Ray and Traci found themselves in the middle of a record European heat wave as they walked from their hotel to one of the ancient world’s greatest landmarks – the Colosseum. 

Built between 70-80 AD, the nearly 2500 year old stadium attracts visitors from around the globe. On this visit, Ray and Traci were able to score some hard-to-get tickets to the Colosseum attic – the 3rd and 4th levels of the stadium. During their February 2011 visit to Rome, the visitors made a quick jaunt into the Colosseum due to time constraints. This time, they were able to enjoy stunning views from all around the upper levels of the famed Roman attraction. 

As with the Egyptian Pyramids, the Colosseum represents one of the greatest architectural achievements of ancient civilizations. 

After the Colosseum, Ray and Traci visited the nearby Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The Forum was the center of ancient Roman life and included government buildings such as the Senate’s Curia (office), temples, and landmarks. Palatine Hill overlooks the Forum and boasts Imperial Palaces first constructed by Emperor Augustus. The various structures vary in level of intactness but visitors gain quite a perspective on Roman life.

The extravagance and hubris gave insight as to what led to the empire’s demise. With the 96 degree heat, the longest lines were outside of free water fountains used by tourists to fill their much needed water bottles. Surprisingly, the entire complex has no concession vendors and only unofficial entrepreneurs hawked water and cooling devices like fans. After tolerating the scorching heat, Ray and Traci decided to visit the National Roman Museum – Palazzo and Massimo Baths of Diocletian. These air-conditioned museums housed many archaeological artifacts from ancient Rome. For lunch, Ray and Traci decided to pick up ham and cheese paninis on their way home. Despite 96 degree temperatures, a hailstorm hit Rome with large ice balls pelting cars and people for about 30 minutes. Later in the evening they enjoyed a light dinner at the nearby “Ristorante Pho1.” 

On Thursday, Ray and Traci planned to take a day trip away from the “Eternal City.” They first considered taking high speed rail to Venice but the 7 hour round trip travel time made this impractical. They decided instead to visit Tivoli, a town 45 minutes away from Rome which turned out to be a wonderful tour. On the travel website Viator, the couple booked a tour which met at the Castro Pretorio metro station – from their hotel, it was quite easy to get to the station on the metro. A representative checked in the 27 members of the tour group, who boarded a bus and headed to Tivoli. The first stop was at Hadrian’s Villa. Hadrian was a Roman Emperor who decided he wanted to build his primary palace outside Rome in a suburb called Tivoli. Despite the incredible resources used to build the palace, bath complexes, fountains and even underground passages for the slaves to move around out of sight, subsequent Emperors used the complex as more of a Roman “Camp David” – a weekend retreat from Rome.

Over 30 buildings, many of which tested the limits of Roman construction technology, are found in the 1-kilometer-square site. 

After a lunch break in the town of Tivoli, the tour group walked to Villa d’Este located in the heart of the town. Villa d’Este was built in the 16th century on behalf of Cardinal Ippolito II. While the very politically connected Cardinal never got to be elected Pope, he somehow leveraged his wealth and influence in building the complex, which rivals France’s Versailles in beauty and opulence. 

The elegant complex included villa ceilings with colorful frescos, large gardens, and much art. The fame and glory of the Villa d'Este was established by its extraordinary system of 50 fountains, which all work based on gravity – water flows from the nearby Aniene River through underground tunnels into an aqueduct system. The downward flow of this water powers the fountains and a water organ. The Fountain of Neptune was the most majestic and spectacular water feature in the villa's Renaissance gardens.

Dominating the lowest terrace, it features massive water jets that spray high into the air, feeding into large fish ponds. Up the hill from the Fountain of Neptune, one finds the incredible 16th-century water organ - the world's first water-powered organ, generating Renaissance music using only pure water pressure and gravity to drive air through its pipes.

Click Here for Water Organ

Ray and Traci left Villa d’Este thankful they were able to visit such incredible sites so close to Rome and highly recommend the Tivoli visit to any Rome travelers. The exhausted couple decided to just enjoy some food from the Hilton lobby bar – Ray had a Caesar salad and Traci had a chicken with vegetable dish.

Friday was embarkation day for their cruise on the Celebrity Ascent. A pre-arranged car service brought Ray and Traci to the Civitavecchia port about an hour from Rome. The couple was surprised how short the lines were for this sailing with 3500 passengers. The Ascent left Rome and made its way to Greece in very calm seas, passing Stromboli, a beautiful active volcano. The hot weather made the pools very popular during this cruise. 

On Sunday, the Celebrity Ascent reached Greece, stopping at the island of Corfu. Corcyra was the original ancient city on Corfu, which was destroyed by the Goths in a 6th-century invasion. The surviving residents built fortifications on high ground and developed a fortress protecting the new city of Corfu. In 1386 the Corfu residents joined the Venetian empire. Ray and Traci decided to do some independent exploration of the small town and took the cruise line’s shuttle into Corfu. Because of the extremely hot weather, they decided to head to the Old Fortress of Corfu first to take advantage of the morning temperature.

A 15 minute walk brought them to the entrance of the impressive fortress. A moat converted into a canal filled with boats greeted visitors who traversed a bridge after buying 10 euro tickets. The site has quite the history – the Ottoman empire laid siege three times in unsuccessful attempts at capturing the fort. The Nazi empire used the Fortress for imprisoning people of Jewish decent before deporting them to Birkenau. In more recent times 007 actor Roger Moore pushed an evildoer off the cliff in the movie “For Your Eyes Only.” Ray and Traci climbed toward to the top of the fortress, admiring the beautiful views of Corfu and the Mediterranean Sea. A still-working lighthouse completed in 1824 is found. An adjacent metal cross was built in the 1840s to aid in communication with ships. The beautiful Church of Saint George is located within the walled fortress. It was built in 1840 by the British for their troops. In 1864 the island was ceded to Greece and the church became a Greek Orthodox Church which still operates today for special events. From the Old Fortress, Ray and Traci walked up the coast to the nearby Archeologic Museum. Initially the travelers thought it was primarily a cooling stop, but they found the 10 euro admission ticket well worth it in the quality and quantity of the antiquities in the 2-story museum. 3000 year old silver coins, 2800-year-old water supply pipes, and remarkably intact sculptures of Greek Gods populate the exhibits. A concentration of artifacts of Artemis, the Greek Goddess of hunting and the wilderness, were found at Corfu. Today, Artemis is the name given to American’s space program tasked with returning to the moon. Ray and Traci’s final Corfu stop was at the New Fortress. Built a mere 1000 years ago, this complex was built by the British 1815-1863 during their rule of the island. While the outside temperature continued to climb, the visitors found the fortress cool and pleasant. Certainly, the history and views were less impressive than the Old Fortress but still worth visiting. The travelers enjoyed their tour of Corfu which included walking along the coast and visiting the narrow streets of old town along with the major attractions. A short return bus ride brought them back to the Celebrity Ascent for lunch and a relaxing afternoon.

On Monday, the new week started in the harbor of Katakolon, Greece. Due a last minute itinerary change, passengers had to “tender” (take a shuttle boat) from the Ascent to the cruise dock. Ray and Traci took a ship-arranged tour to Olympia, the home of the Olympic Games in 776 BC. A 40 minute bus ride brought their tour group to Olympia. While time has ravaged much of the site, excavation of the site found the city with its Olympic venues including the ruins of the original gymnasium.

Today, a ceremony is held in advance of every Olympics where the torch is lit from a solar powered igniter and then brought by land, sea and air by various torch bearers, ultimately ending at the site of the games. The original Olympic stadium is surrounded by grass berms which originally hosted 45,000 spectators. 

After leaving the city, the group entered the archeologic museum which hosted many relics of the area. 2500 year old toys along with impressive statues of Hermes – the Olympian god of athletes, and Nike – the ancient goddess of victory greet tourists. After returning on the tender boat back to the Ascent, Ray and Traci moved on to their next stop – Bar, Montenegro. 

Tuesday morning in Bar started out with scorching temperatures – 91 degrees at 8 o’clock in the morning! Montenegro is a small country, the land area is similar to the US State of Connecticut and the population of 620,000 is about 25% less than the population of Seattle. A very large and technologically advanced sailboat called the Black Oyster was docked across from the Ascent – it was previously owned by a Russian Oligarch but now can be rented for $1 million per week (somebody could have saved a lot of money by just buying a cruise ship ticket). Ray and Traci left the port and walked along the coast, stopping at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. John Vladimir. The beautiful architecture with golden domes was matched with stunning colorful interiors. Gorgeous décor was accompanied by ritual chanting, an ancient tradition practiced to elevate words to a divine reality and prevent bias by keeping personal emotion out of readings. 

From this iconic house of worship, Ray and Traci walked by Bar’s sports complex including a basketball arena and outdoor football (soccer) field. Along the waterfront they encountered the Bar Royal Palace, a large yellow residence used by the Royal Family as a summer residence. Currently the palace serves as the city museum of Bar, unfortunately it was closed for renovation during the visit. After choosing a Montenegro refrigerator magnet from one of the many street vendors, the couple took the shuttle bus back to the Ascent and spent a relaxing and toasty afternoon on the ship.

When the calendar turned to July, the Celebrity Ascent spent the first two days of the new month in Croatia. Wednesday turned into a perfect day to visit Dubrovnik, as the European heat wave took a break and temperature stayed in the 80s. Ray and Traci started the day with a tour of the walls surrounding Dubrovnik – built over the 13-17th centuries, the walls protect the city with an elevated barrier to fight off attackers. In some places the height reaches 82 feet. Three gates allow access to the walled city. Below the walls on three sides, rests the Adriatic sea.

The tour took a couple of hours to walk on top of the walls which extended about 6200 feet and required climbing 1100 steps. Within the walled city one finds many red roofs covering residences, businesses, and government offices. Several churches and even a monastery are also located inside the walls. After the wall tour, Ray and Traci decided to ride a gondola which ascends 1350 feet up Mount Srd, where spectacular views of the walled city and coast are found. While the 60 euro round trip gondola ride brings you to an upper station with great views, the best perch is from observation platforms that cost an addition 3 euros to enter. The couple descended on the gondola and walked thru the walled city to meet up with their next tour. The HBO series “Game of Thrones” (GOT) filmed much of their 8 seasons in Croatia. The popularity of the show created a whole industry in Croatia. The most popular tours focus on the filming locations used by the show. Ray and Traci used the travel website Viator to book “Dubrovnik: Game of Thrones Walking Tour” operated by Dubrovnik Walks. While both Ray and Traci were fans of the show, their tour leader Branka was a self described GOT nerd. Several of their tourmates were also quite devoted fans of the show. The tour started with entering Lovrjenac Fortress which was used to film many of the “Red Keep” scenes in the “King’s Landing”

Branka proceeded to demonstrate not only extensive knowledge of GOT that would impress the show’s writers, he also described the methods used and challenges overcome of filming. He used to run kayak tours and talked about his experiences with the cast which he not only led on private excursions but also interacted with in the town. While Ray only considered himself a casual fan of the show, the enthusiasm and first hand stories intrigued him. Both Ray and Traci considered Branka one of their very best guides in their travel experiences. From the “Red Keep,” the group headed into the city and visited some extremely famous locations in the show such as Cersei Lannister’s “Walk of Shame.” Branka described the many details required to organize the filming in a public area. The amazing tour ended with the members of the group taking pictures on an Iron Throne replica. The exhausted tourists returned to the ship after a wonderful day in Dubrovnik for the 100 mile sailing to Split.

Thursday started with a run in 80 degree weather at 6AM. One of the hardest part of this itinerary was working in some exercise with the morning tours and 90+ degree weather making afternoon outdoor workout torture. The Ascent has a nice 1/5 mile running track as well as a quite long 25 yard swimming pool. The gym was also very well equipped with weight machines and cardio equipment. The ship arrived in Split, Croatia and Ray and Traci joined their tour group for a bus ride to Klis Fortress. Located in the hills above Split, the fortress protected the city against invasions thru the mountain pass over its 2000 year history. Despite the views, it was a seldom visited tourist attraction until it was used as the city of Meereen in GOT. Unfortunately, their Split guide was not a GOT expert, and mostly showed photos of cuts from the show when visiting various areas in the fortress. A frontal view of the fortress showed ascending paths ending in the fortress gate.

With magic of computer-generated imagery, these paths come to life. 

After climbing steps to the upper levels of the wall, a small outhouse built into the wall is where inhabitants could relieve themselves. From the Fortress of Klis, the group traveled back to Split and entered the very busy Diocletian’s Palace. Constructed at the end of the 3rd century, Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered the palace built for his retirement residence. About half of the palace was for the Emperor, the other half to house a military garrison. During the 4th season of GOT, the palace was used to film scenes such as Daenerys training her dragons Rhaegal and Viserion. The palace also contains a genuine 3500 year old Egyptian sphinx granite statue imported from Egypt during Roman times, symbolizing protection and reflecting the palace's rich cultural heritage. 

Despite the hot weather, the palace was surprisingly cool due to the thick limestone construction and windows strategically placed to promote flow of air. Ray and Traci grew weary of the large number of visitors inside the palace and returned to the ship as soon as the tour ended.

After a full day at sea, the ship made port in Messina, Italy, located on the island of Sicily. A narrow channel less than 2 miles wide separates mainland Italy from the island. Forgoing a “Godfather” tour, Ray and Traci did a more traditional excursion to the town of Taormina. Located 45 minutes or so from the Messina Port, this very traditional Italian town is a frequent destination of A-listers and was the filming location for season 2 of HBO’s The White Lotus. With a plethora of beachfront resorts, visitors from all over the world travel by plane or by yacht to vacation. Their guide brought the group through the main city gate and they walked through a narrow street with designer stores selling everything from clothes to handbags to watches. From the shopping area, the tour continued in the Public Gardens with its diverse vegetation and nice views. Above the town, the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace where White Lotus was shot, was seen. While the guide took the group back to the shopping area for a snack, Ray and Traci went to the much-acclaimed Teatro Antico di Taormina. Built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC, this amphitheater has stunning panoramic views of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea. 

As the modern stage equipment shows, it is still in use for concerts, operas, and the Taormina Film Festival. Ray thought going to Taormina and not seeing the theater would be like going to Rome and not visiting the Colosseum. Happy that they saw this impressive landmark, Ray and Traci rejoined the tour for the ride back to Messina. Back in port, the travelers stopped at the Cathedral of Messina and its adjoining clock tower. This astronomical clock was built in 1933 and puts on quite a daily show in addition to regular chimes. 54 animated bronze statues circle around synchronized to Schubert’s Ave Maria at noon daily. In addition to the clock, it has a dial for a perpetual calendar and a phase of the moon display. While they couldn’t see the 12:00 noon show, they did climb the clock tower to see the complex machinery that runs the astronomic clock. After a long day in the Italian heat, Ray and Traci were happy to return to the ship.

Sunday was the last cruise port visit, this time in Naples, Italy. Ray and Traci previously visited Naples and toured the legendary frozen-in-time city of Pompeii. This time, the couple planned a tour of Herculaneum, a much less publicized victim of the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The former Roman town was covered with hot mud (unlike Pompeii, which was blanketed with hot ash). Excavations have opened up 30% of the area for tourism. An excellent tour leader, Luigi, led the group through the town. The hot mud caused wooden features to turn into charcoal, not burn up like in Pompeii. Luigi pointed out the fascinating features of the homes such as “rain catchers” that allowed citizens to recycle rainwater in addition to aqueduct supplied water. Features of homes such as artwork remained intact. Ray and Traci ventured to the marina district where 300 skeletons were recovered – It was thought that most of the inhabitants were able to escape the flowing mud, limiting the loss of life from the disaster.

At the end of this fascinating tour, Ray and Traci decided to escape the scorching Italian heat and spent their final afternoon relaxing on the Ascent. 

After their 10-day Mediterranean sailing, Ray and Traci felt fortunate that the record heat was manageable and they were able to complete all of their plans. A bus ride to the airport brought them to their Alaska Airlines flight and a return to Seattle in the middle of the US National Team’s World Cup Football (soccer) match at Seattle’s Lumen Field.

The Great Pyramid Adventure

In 2011, Ray and Traci flew to Barcelona and boarded the NCL Jade to cruise the Eastern Mediterranean. Political unrest forced the cancellation of their planned visit to the Pyramids the day before their ship was to stop in Egypt. In 2012, another attempt on the same ship also failed, with Egypt cancelled months before departure. Ray, an ancient history enthusiast, scheduled a third attempt for 2025 on the new NCL ship, Viva. 

In late September, Ray and Traci flew Turkish Airlines from Seattle to Istanbul, a 10.5-hour uneventful flight. Istanbul is 10 hours ahead of Pacific Time, so they arrived late morning. The city, spanning Asia and Europe, is an ideal travel hub. Turkish Airlines fills two nonstop Seattle-Istanbul flights daily. At the airport, they breezed through passport control and soon collected their bags, meeting their driver for the hour trip to the JW Marriott Bosphorus. Ray chose the hotel for its proximity to the cruise port and for a free night with Bonvoy points. Housed in a 180-year-old soap factory, the hotel features modern interiors and many American outlets but lacks a swimming pool—a drawback for Ray, especially after recent running injuries. Room unavailable at noon, they left their bags and wandered the Galata neighborhood, packed with shops, restaurants, and close to major attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. Ray and Traci had visited these sites and the underground cisterns in 2011, when Istanbul replaced Egypt on their original cruise. Once their room was ready, they settled in, then walked uphill to the Galata Tower. 

Built in 1453, the tower has served as a prison, watchtower, and now a tourist site. A long wait preceded their entry. With a $35 ticket, they took an elevator to the 7th floor, then spiral stairs to the 8th and 9th floors for sweeping indoor and outdoor views of Istanbul, including the Hagia Sophia

and Blue Mosque roughly a mile away. They then walked to the new Galataport, where three cruise ships were docked. This terminal, opened in 2021 in a ¾-mile waterfront district, hosts 250 shops and restaurants. Despite lax airport checks, Galataport visitors faced metal detectors and bag scans. They dined at Populist, a small Turkish brewpub chain: Ray had a chicken sandwich, Traci had tacos. Ray noted the area bustled even on Sunday night. Security screening along the promenade likely fosters a sense of safety, especially compared to busy places like New York's Times Square. Ray felt much more comfortable in Istanbul this time, aided by their travel experience and a hotel in the most tourist-friendly area. Among the many languages spoken, English was prevalent so Western travelers would feel at home. However, Istanbul drivers show little concern for pedestrians in parking lots, crosswalks, or driveways—take care! Tired from travel, Ray and Traci returned to the hotel for needed rest.

Monday in Istanbul was drizzly and cool. Ray began the day with a Marriott gym workout. They planned to visit the Grand Bazaar before heading to the cruise port. Built in 1455, the bazaar has 4,000 shops and draws up to 400,000 daily visitors. After a short walk to the Tophane tram stop, Ray and Traci took a 15 minute tram ride to the bazaar. 

The shops form a crowded grid where merchants and shoppers bargain. Ray, looking for soccer jerseys for a friend who follows the Korean player Son, formerly of club Tottenham Hotspur, found Turkish vendors stocked mainly soccer and basketball jerseys—not much MLB or NFL. Unfortunately, no Son jerseys were found so Ray left empty-handed. Ray and Traci returned to the hotel, gathered luggage, and walked to the cruise terminal. Galataport is unique: the cruise terminal is underground. Taxi and bus passengers arrive in the underground garage, while those walking in use the terminal building before descending to check in bags. After dropping their bags, Ray and Traci faced another line for terminal entry, security, and key cards. Though not the worst they had seen (Vancouver BC's slow check-in once delayed their ship), boarding took 90 minutes. On the NCL Viva, they enjoyed a relaxing Tuesday at sea before reaching Egypt Wednesday. NCL Viva docked in Alexandria, named for Alexander the Great, who liberated Egypt from Persia. They arrived to sunshine and temperatures just above 80 degrees. Ray and Traci, along with many passengers, took a city tour. Entering Egypt was their most complex port experience: onboard passport stamping the day before arrival, then passport checks, metal detectors, and bag scans after disembarking, which delayed their tour by an hour. The overnight stay in Alexandria meant delays had no impact on plans. They boarded a bus, met their guide Rayna, the driver, and an armed security escort, with a police SUV following. Though comforted by security, Ray found it unnecessary at the popular stops. The first stop was the Citadel of Qaitbay, a 15th century fortress built on the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria ruins, a wonder destroyed by earthquake after a millennium. 

Some lighthouse stones were reused in the construction of the Citadel. The next stop was the Abu El Abbas Mosque, rebuilt after a fire in 48 BC. 

The last stop was the Montaza Gardens palace. Their Alexandria tour set the stage for the main pyramid adventure the next day.

Thursday started very early, it seemed like most of the passengers on the ship met in the theater at 5:15 AM as instructed for their excursions. Overall, 78 buses which could each take 40 people awaited the Viva passengers. Ray and Traci boarded their bus headed to Cairo. On board was a very skilled driver, an armed security guard dressed in a business suit, and guide Nina. Groggy but filled with anticipation, the visitors started the 3 hour journey to Cairo. Along the way, Nina gave a lot of insight into ancient Egypt in near perfect English – she was educated in an American school and lived in the US before spending the last 20 years conducting tours. First stop was at Saqqara, home to the first pyramid built, the Step Pyramid of Djoser 4700 years ago (27th century BEC). 

At the time, burial chambers for the Egyptian Pharaohs were usually one story structures called mastabas and included a burial chamber as well as storage chambers stocked with food and belongings for the Pharaoh who was thought to be passing into the next life. A few early pharaohs had their unfortunate servants killed and buried with them. Fortunately this practice ended and subsequently funerary figurines accompanied the pharaohs into their afterlife. Imhotep was credited as the architect for this first Step Pyramid which took 20 years to build. A traditional mastaba was made in a square shape and additional mastabas were built on top of one another until 6 stories spanning 204 feet were completed. Visitors can enter the burial chamber in the pyramid for a $7 fee. Ray and Traci found the short passage into the pyramid interior comfortable and quick although it might be more challenging with bigger crowds. Supposedly, pictures were forbidden in the burial chamber but every tourist had a cell phone out capturing photos and the person checking tickets seemed more interested in soliciting a $1 tip than stopping photography. During their visit, Ray and Traci thought the crowds were quite modest but since 3,000 of their fellow passengers were also experiencing the Pyramids, this likely reflects the huge size of the site. Large number of vendors sold all sorts of merchandise, sometimes in little booths or sometimes just by walking up to tourists as they traversed the site. While many have complained about their aggressiveness, Ray thought he saw worse on the Seattle waterfront. Simply saying no thanks, or displaying no interest in a purchase sends the merchants scurrying off to someone else. Quite frankly, the American $1 bill is quite popular in Egypt and goes at lot farther than any “dollar store” in America.  Anyone planning a trip to Egyptian Pyramids should bring a large supply of $1 bills. From Saqqara, the excursion went to Memphis, located south of the Giza Pyramids. A 34 foot limestone statue of pharaoh Rames II was discovered in 1820 and small museum was built on the site. 

A much smaller replica of the Sphinx is also located on the site along with other artifacts of the period. The tour bus headed north and anticipation began to grow as glimpses of the Great Pyramids of Giza were seen. First, a lunch stop was made at a “5-star hotel” – It looked more like a 3 star establishment, but they had a large dining hall with buffet food including chicken, beef, lamb, and other assorted treats which catered to very large tour groups. From lunch, the bus took the group to the pyramids at Giza. The enormous complex contained two huge pyramids – The Great Pyramid (or Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu) and a slightly smaller Pyramid of Khafre. 

A modest Pyramid of Menkaure and three smaller “Queens Pyramids” were also built here as well as the great Sphinx. The Great Pyramid was built between 2600 and 2500 bce (45 centuries ago!) Other temples, burial locales, and remains of the village that housed the construction workers have also been excavated at the site. After admiring the incredible site of these ancient monuments, Ray and Traci took a brief camel ride. 

Youtube is replete with videos about all sorts of scams going on at the pyramids and many involve camel rides – taking your camera hostage, asking for more money to get you off the camel, etc. Nina, the guide, was exceptionally helpful in pre-arranging camel rides for anyone who wanted one at a quite reasonable US $10 each from a trustworthy merchant who gave all of the riders a unique experience as well as great photos on their phones. After their camel adventure, Ray and Traci explored the huge site with its fascinating architecture. Stairs have been erected on walls of the Great Pyramid allowing visitors to ascend a short distance. For $7 visitors can enter the burial chamber in the Great Pyramid but the passage is much tighter, longer, and requires crawling in some areas so everyone in the tour group passed on the opportunity. Their guide Nina told the group that many Egyptians think the wild stories about aliens from outer space building the pyramids are insulting and brought up some good arguments against the theory. Over 100 different pyramids have been discovered in various sizes and stages of disrepair – clearly there was a long learning process required to successfully build Pyramids. Second, the technology improvements such as building tools and skills flowed into civilization. The pyramid visit concluded with a visit to the great Sphinx. 

This mythical creature gave human intelligence to a powerful lion’s body. After collecting all of the group members, the bus headed back to the ship making a stop at a shop specializing in papyrus creation – these souvenir stops are ubiquitous in the organized tour business but this one was actually educational about how the world’s first paper was produced. 

The NCL Viva left Egypt and headed north to Cyprus. Ray and Traci had visited Cyprus on one of their earlier unsuccessful Pyramid cruises and just planned to wander around Limassol, the largest city in Cyprus and the location of the cruise dock. While walking toward the castle, they encountered a pharmacy museum. Since it was free and air conditioned, Ray and Traci saw a bunch of not so old (1970s-80s) drug manufacturing equipment from their leading over the counter and generic drug producer Remidica. Pill presses, liquid bottle fillers, and packaging equipment from earlier times was on display. Afterwards, they went to the Lemesos Castle. 

Originally built in 1193, over the years it was seized, destroyed, rebuilt, and used as a prison before its current use as a museum since 1987. Artifacts including 2000 year old coins are housed in the museum giving a glimpse of Cyprus’ civilization thru the years. 

The next 4 stops were in Greece. Ray and Traci have visited Heraklion (Crete) before, but Mykonos, Rhodes and Santorini were new experiences. On Saturday afternoon the NCL Viva made its first Greek stop. Rhodes is a walled city which has been a battleground of empires from Africa, Asia and Europe thru the ages. 11 gates serve as entry points into the city. A key attraction is the Palace of the Grand Master, a medieval originally built in the 7th century and repaired extensively over the years. It now serves as a museum displaying artifacts and architecture from its rich history. From the palace, Ray and Traci walked up the hill to the site of the Acropolis of Rhodes. Unfortunately, much of the site was destroyed over time, just two columns undergoing refurbishment remain. A stadium where ancient sporting events occurred also occupies the site. Ray and Traci completed their visit to Rhodes by leaving the walled city and walking out onto a jetty sticking out from the walled city. The Fort of Saint Nicholas is found at the end of the jetty. It was built in the mid 15th century to protect Rhodes. The fort is thought to be near the original site where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Colossus was a statue 2/3 the size of New York’s Statue of Liberty. It was built to celebrate successful defense against the Macedonians in 280 BC.

On Sunday, Ray and Traci had an early start to the day at 3AM to watch the Seattle Mariners first playoff game. Thanks to Starlink internet services, streaming video can be followed all over the world. Cruises to Egypt by the major lines are relatively rare and the travelers were prepared to miss some playoff baseball in their quest to reach the Pyramids. Sadly, the Mariners lost in an intense 11 inning game. The NCL Viva reached Crete, and the disappointed fans explored the city of Heraklion. In their previous visit to Crete, Ray and Traci took an excursion to Knossos palace. With this visit, the couple stayed at Heraklion, the capital city of Greek’s largest island. While Traci spent some quality time in the ship’s gym, Ray wandered out to the incredible Venetian Fortress, built in the 16th century to protect the city against Turkish pirates. 

Afterwards, Traci joined Ray and they went to the beautiful Cathedral Holy Temple of Saint Titus. The Archeological Museum of Heraklion was their next stop. This large and well organized museum displayed all sorts of artifacts including statues, huge pots, toys, jewelry and even selection of coffins for those preparing for their future.

Monday was another early day due to game 2 of the Mariners playoff series against Detroit. This time, however, the Mariners managed to scrape out a 3-2 victory in a very intense game. The NCL Viva arrived near Santorini island and anchored. Tender boats shuttled passengers from the ship to the port. High above the port was the picturesque Fira town. In order to get to Fira, visitors can climb the Karavolades Stairs of which there are 588 of them, get on a donkey which will take you up or down or ride the cable car built in 1982. The cable car has a capacity to take 1200 passengers an hour up and down the hill, so the lines get very long during peak times. Ray and Traci waited until after lunch to leave the ship so there was no line for the cable car which cost USD $11 each way. The donkey ride for those so inclined was about the same price. 

 Once at the top Ray and Traci walked on the pedestrian passages between buildings high on the Fira hills. The views were magnificent and the partly cloudy skies kept temperatures comfortable and facilitated great pictures. Highlights included the Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist with its iconic clock tower. Ray and Traci also visited the signature picture spot of Santorini, The Catholic Church of the Dormition with its tower containing three bells over the blue dome. 

The town is interesting with many pedestrian paths between closely separated buildings built on a big hill. Cars cannot easily access many of the restaurants and shops. After enjoying the beautiful views, Ray and Traci decided to return to the port. Late in the afternoon with passengers from 4 cruise ships returning back, the cable car line looked extremely long. The pair found the top of the Karavolades Stairs and began their decent downwards. They didn’t encounter many donkeys but those that they did were very well behaved, avoided collisions with pedestrians, and didn’t bite or kick. 

They did leave piles of poop which served as obstacles for the pedestrians. After the 25 minute descent, they boarded the tender boat back to the Viva for the night.

Tuesday was a travel day for the Mariners so Ray and Traci did not have to wake up early for playoff baseball. Their final Greece stop was at Mykonos. It was cooler, cloudier, and windier than their previous stops. Traci spent the morning at the gym while Ray swam in the pool and then did some running. After lunch, they boarded a tender boat and started exploring Mykonos. While much flatter than Santorini, Mykonos also consists of very narrow pedestrian paths weaving in and out of tightly separated buildings. Merchants, restaurants, and lodging establishments did a brisk business. With 4 cruise ships visiting Mykonos simultaneously, it was quite difficult to move around some of the streets. Ray and Traci wandered down the coastline, encountered many tiny churches. Some churches had blue domes, some with red domes on top. It turns out that Greek families tended to establish their own churches to strengthen their religious bonds. Some of the churches could barely fit a modest sized family inside. Toward the end of their walk, Ray and Traci saw the famous windmills which used to power wheat milling. 

The travelers retraced their steps back to the tender boat landing and returned to their ship after completing their 4th Greek island visit in 4 days.

As the NCL Viva left Greece, mother nature put on quite a show with an electrical storm lighting up the sky. That night, they and other passengers on the ship were treated with a special 1980s Prom performance by the Syd Norman’s Pour House Band. After the fabulous concert replete with music from their high school days, Ray and Traci returned to their cabin to watch the Mariners play in Detroit for ALDS game 3. Unfortunately, Greece wasn’t the only place with rain and the game was delayed for several hours. When the game was finally played the tired but happy baseball fans enjoyed the 8-4 Mariners victory. The NCL Viva arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey before sunrise. Kusadasi is a resort town popular with European travelers and is located very close to the ancient city of Ephesus. Established around 1000 BC, the site has been and continues to be excavated giving much insight into the ancient world. Ephesus had gone thru Greek and Roman periods of control, and at its peak was estimated to have 250,000 inhabitants. Ray and Traci had the opportunity to visit Ephesus during their 2011 Eastern Mediterranean Cruise. Heavy rains dampened their enthusiasm and photography so Ray and Traci looked forward to another visit. Moderate rains fell as their bus traveled from the port of Kusadasi but stopped as soon as the tour group entered the grounds of the ancient city. Even better, sunshine began peeking thru the clouds. The tour included a look at the advanced technology of the era – clay pipes that somehow lasted thru the ages providing running water and drainage. Aqueducts carrying water into the city. Visitors stepped on marble streets with serrated cuts to increase traction when wet. 

An underground passage extended from the library to the brothel allowing discreet access to patrons. The site is under continuous exploration and excavation. Current highlights include the Library of Celsus, one of the largest in the ancient world. Built to honor a Roman Governor, it once contained 12,000 scrolls. 

Another impressive structure is the Odeon of Ephesus. The site of Greek Theatre, it seats 25,000 guests. Over the years, concerts have been held there by contemporary artists such as Elton John, Sting, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti, and many others. 

With the conclusion of their second visit to Ephesus, Ray and Traci were happy to return to their ship to watch the fourth game of the Mariners Detroit series. This outcome was very disappointing as the Tigers won 9-3 setting up a fifth and decisive game. Ray and Traci enjoyed a final dinner at the NCL Viva’s sushi bar Nama, packed up their cabin and had a final night of sleep on the seas. The next morning they boarded a bus to the airport and had a comfortable and uneventful flight back to Seattle arriving Thursday evening. Thankfully one of their greatest adventures ended just in time for them to attend Friday’s Mariners vs Tigers 15 inning finale, one of the most exciting games the Seattle team ever played.

A Baseball Pilgrimage to Cooperstown

In July 2025, Ichiro Suzuki was formally inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame after his legendary 19 year career starting and ending with the Seattle Mariners. Ray and Traci decided to attend the induction ceremony which occurs every year in Cooperstown, New York.

Cooperstown was founded in 1786 by William Cooper in upstate New York. As baseball grew in popularity during the last half of the 19th century, a private group studied the origins of baseball in 1907 and concluded that Abner Doubleday, a Union Army Officer during the Civil War, invented the game in 1839 while living in Cooperstown. In 1936 the Hall of Fame was inaugurated with the induction of Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner. The actual museum opened in 1939 to mark “Baseball’s Centennial.” Later inquiries noted Doubleday was actually attending West Point in 1839, but the myth of baseball’s founding and creation of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown live on.

Unlike basketball, football and hockey which have their Hall of Fame located in cities near major metropolitan areas, Cooperstown is a logistic challenge to visit prompting Ray and Traci to share their experience for others to reference for future planning. The village has a population of about 1,700. “Downtown” has a single traffic light and most of the businesses are baseball related shops. It was estimated that 30,000 fans attended the 2025 induction ceremony posing quite a challenge for the small village.

Since Cooperstown is a 4 ½ hour drive from JFK airport, Ray and Traci decided to fly from Seattle to Syracuse instead, changing planes in Chicago. Hotels are sparse around Cooperstown, and having 30,000 people descend on the area for the annual weekend induction made lodging quite a challenge. Ray and Traci stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites in Utica. After picking up a rental car in Syracuse, they arrived in Utica after a 1 hour drive. Having visited New York City many times in the past, the rural farmlands and tiny villages that populate the area was quite a change for this visit to New York. After arriving at the Homewood Suites in Utica, the hungry travelers settled on a meal at the nearby Olive Garden.

After a pleasant night, Ray and Traci awoke Sunday morning for a 1 hour drive to Cooperstown. Driving from Utica to Cooperstown on rural highways could be challenging but Google Maps made the journey quite easy. Ray and Traci planned to arrive a couple of hours before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. The town has several free parking lots with shuttle buses for the many attendees and, as one would expect, most were full. Fortunately, enterprising town residents rented out their parking lots, lawns, and driveways. Ray and Traci met two charming church ladies who provided parking and conversation (directions, area information, airports, Seattle) at their church for $25, a veritable bargain by Seattle standards. Weather in late July was a major concern – often it is very hot and humid, and during this weekend the possibility of thunderstorms was raised in advance of Ray and Traci’s travel. The Hall of Fame warned visitors that if weather prevented the outdoor ceremony, it would be moved indoors and the public wouldn’t get to attend. As light rain began to fall, Ray and Traci decided to take cover inside the Baseball Hall of Fame. While perusing some of the exhibits, they ran into a fellow fan whose Mariners season ticket seats are next to Ray and Traci. 60 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin, they left the museum and took a shuttle bus to the Clark Sports Center located about a mile away where the induction ceremony was being held. The induction ceremony takes place in a huge field adjacent to the gym. A huge stage with large video screen showed coverage being shown on the MLB channel. Still raining, Ray and Traci found a tree to shelter under. Thousands of white chairs were set up in sections facing the stage. The front section was for friends, families and VIPs, the back area was for fans who paid for a Hall of Fame membership. And anyone could watch the induction from the surrounding grassy areas for free. Ray and Traci left their tree shelter at 1pm and walked into the seated area for members. Fortunately the rain subsided and no thunderstorms emerged. Because of the earlier rain, a decision was made to delay the ceremony by 1 hour and the weather stayed dry.

At 2:30, speakers played John Fogerty’s song Centerfield to start the induction ceremony. 52 Hall of famers were individually introduced and sat behind the podium facing the crowd. Seattle legends Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr were among those HOF players in attendance. Biographical videos preceded each induction speech. Houston’s Billy Wagner started the speeches giving a heartfelt address to the fans. Pittsburgh’s Dave Parker unfortunately died a month before his induction but his son gave a very entertaining and fun speech with stories his father wanted to share. Philadelphia’s Dick Allen was honored posthumously by his widow who spoke of the long journey and many challenges of a bygone era. New York’s CC Sabathia highlighted the influence of the many women in his family that helped him succeed. Ichiro ended the afternoon giving a quite humorous and fun address in English! It was clear from all the Mariners jerseys and Japan flags that much of the crowd travelled a long way to see their favorite player.

After Ichiro, the ceremony ended and Ray and Traci got back on a shuttle bus to downtown. Both Mariners fans were quite impressed by the organization and flow of thousands of people in such a tiny village. While the weather delayed the ceremony an hour, the rather moderate temperature and absence of rain was wonderful. Ray and Traci walked from the HOF to the church and had an uneventful drive back to Utica. For dinner they went to a

local Japanese restaurant Mitsuba which had a quite extensive menu of typical Japanese food. The hungry fans found the meal to be quite satisfying. Ray did some swimming in the indoor Homewood Suites pool to end the evening.

On Monday, Ray and Traci returned to Cooperstown for a question and answer session with three of the inductees – Ichiro, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner. 

The televised event took place at Doubleday field, a small stadium near the HOF. Although the event started at 10:30 AM, the sun was out and it was becoming quite warm. Complimentary bottles of water were much appreciated by the attendees. The inductees were quite entertaining. Afterwards, Ray and Traci went back to the HOF museum for more exhibits and education. The HOF is a three level building, the ground floor has a room where the plaques of all the inductees are housed. 

The second floor included exhibits dedicated to the 5 newest inductees including memorabilia as well as areas dedicated to Black, Hispanic, and Women in Baseball. The third floor houses a gallery with lockers containing gear from each of the major league teams, an area celebrating Hank Aaron’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record, and a special exhibit featuring Japanese players past and present including Shohei Ohtani and Ichiro.

Their baseball tourism completed, Ray and Traci made a short drive to the Fenimore Farm just outside of Cooperstown. It is a collection of two dozen authentic circa 1850 buildings recreating rural life.

Artifacts, animals, and personnel bring village life to tourists. The blacksmith shop has a working fire where visitors were treated with demonstrations of techniques used to forge metal tools. 

The printshop had someone type setting – certainly a lost talent in the era of laser printing. A tavern merchant watched over the combination hotel / restaurant in the town. Ray and Traci also took a ride around the Empire State Carousel – a hand crafted merry go round which took 20 years to create. Visitors ride on wood carved animals that are native to the area. Ray and Traci’s visit to Fenimore Farm reminded them of Arbaer Museum in Reykjavik, Iceland – a reconstructed village providing a glimpse of early 19th century life.

 From the farm, Ray and Traci crossed the street to the Fenimore Art Museum. Collections include American art, Native American art, and a large number of photographs. Ray and Traci returned to their car and completed the 1 hour drive back to Utica. Exhausted from tourism, they decided to pick up food at Panera Bread and rested for their return home.

On Tuesday, Ray and Traci drove two hours from their hotel in Utica to the Albany Airport – the flight schedule for Albany was more convenient with less layover in Chicago. Both Syracuse and Albany airports are small and easy to navigate. After returning their rental car, they walked across the street to the airport entrance and boarded the flight to Chicago followed by the final flight to Seattle.

Asia Tour 2025

Back in April of 2020, Ray and Traci had a trip booked to visit some of Asia’s most popular ports aboard a Princess Cruise ship. Unfortunately, the world came to an abrupt halt due to the covid pandemic and cruise lines were forced to cancel all voyages. Five years later, Ray and Traci decided to book a similar journey, this time on the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas ship which embarked in Singapore and stopped in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea before ending in Yokohama, Japan.

Their journey started with a 16 hour flight from Seattle to Singapore aboard a Singapore Air A350. The long flight was uneventful with Ray binge watching the Amazon series Bosch: Legacy, and also viewing some interesting documentaries in the airline’s library. Of note, Ray found the movie “Cirque du Solei – Without a Net” (also available on Amazon Prime) especially intriguing. It covered the effect of the pandemic on the production “O” in Las Vegas. Ray and Traci started their flight at 9:50 am in Seattle on Thursday and landed 5:10 pm in Singapore on Friday thanks to the time change. Singapore uses the app called “Grab” for transportation and it works as efficiently as Uber, but at considerably lower pricing, at least when compared to Seattle prices. Their Grab driver brought the couple to their hotel, the Conrad Centennial Singapore – recently renamed the Conrad Singapore Marina Bay. Ray and Traci stayed at this hotel back in 2022 and found its location to be terrific – right at the huge Suntec Shopping Mall and the Promenade MRT station and close to the famous Merlion statue and other attractions at Singapore’s Marina Bay. Jet lagged from their  long flight, a quick dinner was found at the mall – Ray ended up eating fried chicken from Jollibee (he never ate at this Filipino chain before which has many locations in the US). Ray and Traci then returned to their hotel and quickly fell asleep.

The tourists made their first visit to Singapore in December of 2022 – they were very impressed by this spectacular city. A great thing about Singapore is the small area of this island city-city state (it actually is the smallest country by area in southeast Asia) so visitors can see most of its popular attractions in just a few days. Because of this, Ray and Traci planned only one full day for exploration during this trip. Given the weather (midday temps into the 90s, humidity 88%, and heat indexes well into the 100s), Ray and Traci decided to start Saturday with a walk thru Singapore’s “Southern Ridges.” This 2002 project built a greenway connecting several of the city’s parks including picturesque spots like Mount Faber affording great territorial views. The variety of birds and foliage attracts nature lovers and photographers. Wild monkeys inhabit the parks as well but Ray and Traci didn’t encounter any. Along the 6 mile walk park goers encounter well maintained restrooms and vending machines/snack shops for refreshments. Most of the trails had good tree cover affording shade from the warm sun. Before their adventure, they started the morning with a very early buffet breakfast at Oscar’s Restaurant in the Conrad – a very tasty mix of both western and Asian breakfast food.  The tourists used the Grab app to call for a taxi ride to the Marang Trail which starts the pathway and walked up Mount Faber and ended up at Labrador Park positioned on Singapore’s waterfront. Exhausted by the walk in hot weather, Ray and Traci called another Grab taxi and returned to the Conrad hotel for refreshments and air conditioning. They decided to have dinner at the Maxwell Hawker station – Singapore’s popular food court serving fast and inexpensive eats. Ray and Traci walked to the nearby Promenade MRT station and took the subway to the Maxwell stop. One great feature of the Singapore MRT is the ability to use most any chip enabled credit card (like VISA) when entering the subway gate and another tap when exiting to pay the fare – even credit cards stored in an Apple wallet on an iphone can be used without registering for an account or buying advance credits. At Maxwell station, Traci had the famous Tian Tian chicken rice while Ray enjoyed a fried chicken dish.

Their next stop was Clarke Quay, where they purchased Singapore River Cruise tickets and waited in line for their turn to board the boats. By riding a night cruise, they were able to enjoy the lights of the city and see parts of the laser/music show Spectra. The 40 minute narrated cruise gave a nice perspective on the beautiful Singapore skyline. 

Ray and Traci took the MRT back to the Conrad and before turning in for the night had some frozen custard treats at the Suntec Mall Shake Shack. 

Ray started Sunday morning by walking around the Marina Bay – he encountered dozens of unhoused individuals who seemed to gather along the glass walls of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The Sands hotel/casino is a beautiful three tower structure connected at the bottom by a shopping mall and on top by a “surfboard” boasting a giant infinity pool. Even a nation as wealthy as Singapore has significant unmet social needs. Ray and Traci had a final breakfast at Oscars and then packed up for their move to the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas ship.

After an initial sea day spent eating and dealing with the tech people to get internet service working in their room, the Anthem docked the next morning at Phu My – a large and active port about 50 miles away from Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City). Ray and Traci booked a private tour with the company “Tour with Xuan” joined by 5 others on the ship. The seven person group was fortunate to have a great guide Thao as well as an experienced driver navigating the chaotic traffic of Vietnam. Thao had excellent command of the English language despite never living abroad. In short, the tour was one of the best Ray and Traci have ever taken anywhere in the world. From Phu My, their van took about 90 minutes to reach downtown Ho Chi Minh City and stopped at the Buddhist Thien Hau temple where as usual, Ray made an offering to the local deity to help the fortunes of Seattle’s baseball team. At this temple, believers write their wish on a tag affixed to a coil of incense which takes days to burn from the bottom to the top until finally burning the tag resulting in the wish being granted from the higher power.

The Temple was decorated in typical Buddhist fashion and was busy with a stream of followers as well as tourists. Outside the temple, guide Thao arranged for 7 rickshaws to give the tour group a ride around the bustling city. Ray was initially wary about the experience – first it was 91 degrees (heat index 101) and second, the chaotic traffic along the roads with motorbikes and cars seemed quite hazardous.

Fortunately the ride was quite enjoyable with the driver showing the wide variety of products from motorcycle parts to exotic live animals. Retail appears to be king in Vietnam and most first floors of buildings boast storefronts. Getting to travel in the rickshaws actually gave a pretty unique perspective especially about the roads. Vietnam is the 15th most populous country in the world with 101 million people, 10 million live in the Ho Chi Minh area and its seems all of them have motorbikes or scooters. Orderly chaos allows the roads to flow but being a pedestrian is frightening as one is at the mercy of the driving skills of the scooter riders. After surviving the rickshaw adventure, Thao led the tour group around many of the market stalls and picked out a selection of fruits – dragon fruit, mango, and apple. Live animals such as chickens and ducks were found at many stalls, and isolated roosters for cock fighting were also on display. Certainly, the lack of refrigeration and storage space for many inhabitants makes acquiring food at these markets a daily need. Another observation about Vietnam is the extreme concentration of wealth in a “communist” country. A short drive from Chinatown brought the group to an unbelievable sights of huge skyscrapers boasting million dollar condos adjacent to dilapidated stilt houses – little more than a shed on a platform over the water. These stilt houses often flood when the water rises with the tides, and have no plumbing so sewage is just released into the water.

While driving into Ho Chi Minh City, Thao showed many areas of ghost housing – modern constructed housing built on speculation and now standing empty. It is pretty unbelievable that whole neighborhood of houses stand empty and yet people live on flooding platforms in sewage water (or some are unhoused and live on the streets) in a country aiming to follow communist ideals. A lunch break followed - the group ate at a restaurant called Pho 2000 – this represents another paradox. In 2000, President Bill Clinton visited Vietnam and enjoyed Pho at this same restaurant. One would think the leader of the enemy country in a war that resulted in 3 million casualties would not be embraced as an endorser for this Pho restaurant – but his visit is prominently displayed on the front like a seal of approval. The eatery was very clean, well air conditioned and had excellent fast service – Ray and Traci both enjoyed chicken noodle pho and some spring rolls. Thao also cut up the previously purchased fruit so the group could sample it. Ray and Traci found the fruit kind of bland, especially the apples when compared to Washington state apples. American visitors to Vietnam are shocked at the price of goods and services – at the time of this writing 100,000 Vietnam Dong = about $4 US. Ray and Traci’s meals with 2 cans of coca cola combined came to US $15. After lunch, the tour group headed to the Ben Thanh market for some shopping. Everyone was advised to bargain for prices 20-60% below the first offer. All of the merchants spoke some English and readily took US currency. In fact, Ray never exchanged for any Vietnamese Dong – just paid US dollars all day. Ray and Traci purchased a pack of 3 colorful travel magnets for $5, certainly a good Seattle price but probably expensive for this market. Having 40 minutes to walk around, Ray also noticed a Shohei Ohtani LA Dodger Jersey by Nike with official tags and patches…he thought he drove a hard bargain and got the “official MLB” jersey for $25 but Traci thought he could have done better. The group assembled after their shopping and went to a very interesting place – the War Remnants Museum. Of course, the Vietnam war represented a dark era in American history. The couple’s visit just happened to occur two weeks before the 50th anniversary of the war’s conclusion. The conflict which has been estimated to cause as many as 3 million total deaths (military + civilians) and 58,220 US deaths, was devastating to all involved. The War Remnants Museum is a large open air building with several air conditioned rooms devoted to different topics of the war. 

Munitions of war from rifles to American fighter jets sprinkle the rooms and grounds but the primary focus is on photos and historical notes with special attention to the role of the press in covering the war. Some feel the museum presents only one side, which is usually the case in national museums. Ray thought the exhibits while bleak and shocking at times were mostly factual. The agent orange photos were especially powerful – while defoliating areas using a chemical made with one of mankind’s most deadly toxins (dioxin) was terrible, it is hard to believe American military officers would knowingly use something that was so harmful especially when it harmed their own American troops. After the war museum, the tour travelled to Ho Chi Minh’s famed Post Office. This very popular iconic attraction, is well, a post office where one can send a letter home. Of larger note, the neo-classical European architecture with some Asian decoration resulted in a beautiful building that attracts many visitors. Across the street from the post office is the Notre Dame Cathedral – built by French colonists with construction starting in 1863, they imported all of the original construction materials from France. Unfortunately the picturesque building with beautiful stained glass was hidden by scaffolding for a refurbishment project expected to last until 2027. Before leaving, the group went to a nearby Highlands coffee shop for refreshments. Coffee is a very important to Vietnam – they are one of the world’s biggest exporters, and locals love strong drip coffee combined with sweetened condensed milk. With constant hot weather, serving an iced milk coffee is very popular. The tour’s final stop was at the former headquarters of the American CIA – one of the most recognized photo of the war was the final helicopter leaving Saigon surrounded by desperate people trying to board it.

This evacuation represented final defeat to many, although looking at the structure which is now a government building surrounded by a high end shopping mall anchored by an H&M and across the street from Tiffany’s (yes, the famous American jewelry chain) one has to wonder did communism win? Due to heavy traffic, the drive back from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu My and the Anthem of the Seas Cruise Ship took 2 hours leaving the group much time to contemplate all they have seen especially the dark and disturbing images from the war museum. Ray thought Saigon was the both the most intriguing and infurating place he has ever visited.

During Thursday’s sea day, the Anthem of the Seas traversed the South China Sea and docked Friday morning in Hong Kong. The passengers visited Hong Kong on Good Friday so crowds and traffic were less congested. Ray and Traci took a tour of Hong Kong organized by Royal Caribbean. 7.5 million people inhabit the small area that is Hong Kong – in fact the land area of Hong Kong is smaller that that of New York City. It however hosts over 500 skyscrapers (taller than 150meters), the most by far of any city in the world. Still a world financial center, Hong Kong was turned over to China in 1997 and now operates as a special administrative region (SAR) – China controls defense and foreign affairs while Hong Kong continues its business as usual. Ray and Traci left the Anthem of the Seas and joined the bus containing 31 cruisers and their guide Wing. Wing was an excellent guide providing a fountain of information about Hong Kong and entertaining the group.  She was very funny and had the whole bus laughing at her humor and jokes. The excursion’s first stop was at a Buddhist Temple Man Mo where many visitors were seeking spiritual assistance. The next stop was Victoria Peak – long considered a tourist mecca in Hong Kong, dense fog and drizzly weather unfortunately severely hampered views of the city this day. Wing led her group to the funicular which is basically a train that ascends steep hills. At the 1800 foot summit visitors were disappointed by the lack of any visibility and wandered around the shopping mall at the top. 

From Victoria Peak, the tour group headed to a huge downtown restaurant for Cantonese Dim Sum. Wing commented on how this particular restaurant was usually too booked for the tour groups but because it was Good Friday, the 5 buses of Royal Caribbean cruisers lucked out. Staff served dish after dish of amazing chicken, beef, pork, shrimp dumplings, noodles – suffice to say it was the best meal of the whole cruise. Stomachs full, the next stop on the tour was at Aberdeen Sampans (Boat Ride) along the waterfront. Similar to the Ho Chi Minh Rickshaws, a ride on the water in a Sampan gave tourists a glimpse of life in Hong Kong. Many people live on houseboats, from some very modest dwellings to large floating houseboats that seemed quite luxurious. Fishing boats were seen side by side with huge yachts of the very rich. The spot where the Jumbo floating restaurant was now vacant after it was closed during Covid-19 and later sunk during relocation. A much smaller floating restaurant Tai Pak inhabits the next door location but still hasn’t reopened since Covid.

After the Sampan ride, the group headed to Resolve Bay which is one of Hong Kong’s few beaches and is surrounded by huge condo towers many units costing 8 figures for relatively modest homes. The final stop on the tour was Stanley Market – a large collection of individual shops offering good deals on various knick-knacks and a next door shopping mall with 5 stories of shops and restaurants. Given the high price to operate in Hong Kong many of the apparel companies have relocated from Hong Kong so the exceptional deals of the past seem to have disappeared. On the way back to the ship, Wing gave some very sobering perspectives on the difficulties of life in Hong Kong especially for the youth due to the extremely high cost of living. The limited options in Hong Kong probably promote the acceptance of integration with mainland China by the next generation. Before leaving, the tourists were treated to the nightly light show created by coordinated illumination of many of Hong Kong's skyscrapers.

After a day to traverse the East China Sea, the Anthem of the Seas arrived in Keelung, a port 30 minutes away from Taipei, Taiwan. Ray and Traci booked a private tour with Justaiwantour thru Trip advisor. Their guide Sung-Ping had 20 years of experience with tourists but unfortunately his English communication was a bit of a challenge. He met Ray and Traci in the arrival hall and drove them into Taipei, about 30 minutes from the port. Fortunately the weather was quite favorable for their tour – overcast with a mild breeze kept the very humid warm weather tolerable. The first stop was at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial hall, the large complex containing a large concert hall, theater, and a monument to the leader of South Korea from 1928 until his death in 1975.

 

The architecture of the memorial is similar to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Hourly, a changing of the guard ceremony by the honor guard of the South Korean Air Force captivates the visitors.

Underneath is a museum highlighting events of Chiang Kai Shek’s rule. Next, Ray and and Traci traveled to Taipei’s famed Taipei 101 skyscraper – for 5 years the tallest building in the world, and currently the 11th. 

Still boasting the 2nd fastest elevator in the world reaching over 1000 meters per minute during Ray and Traci’s ascent, the view from the top observatory towers over the bustling city. The bottom floors host a shopping mall while the bulk of the higher floors are office space. A lunch stop at Liang Xi Hao, a restaurant in operation for over 100 years, followed. Before arriving in Taiwan, a cruise ship lecturer recommended visitors try the braised pork over rice, a very popular food in Taiwan. Ray and Traci ordered it and were extremely impressed. The pork belly and rice combination was absolutely delicious, and the couple could not believe the price of 40 Taiwan dollars which is equivalent to US $1.21. Without question, the lunch was the best value Ray and Traci have enjoyed anywhere in the world. Close by, the Longshan Temple was the next stop on the tour. 

A celebrated temple originally built in 1738, the current buildings were reconstructed in 1919 and remains a busy Buddhist house of worship. Crowds of tourists mixed with worshippers seeking spiritual guidance and blessings. Traci decided to partake in the complicated rituals and was rewarded with a very positive fortune. Maybe we will be watching a World Series in Seattle this October! From the temple, Sung Ping led Ray and Traci around Dihua Street, full of street markets selling all sorts of products – from traditional Chinese medicines to snacks to apparel. A short walk from the market lies the Tamsui River and a park containing a variety of food trucks feeding the many park goers on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. After the drive back to the ship, rain began to fall and Ray and Traci felt quite fortunate that mother nature again treated them very well during their adventures in Asia.

The Anthem of the Seas reached Jeju Island in South Korea to find rainy cool weather. Ray and Traci were following the weather forecasts and expected to have significant precipitation. They original booked a tour which included a hike to “Sunrise Peak” and decided at the very last minute to cancel. This turned out to be an excellent decision, not only due to the heavy rain during the ship’s arrival but the foggy conditions which made visibility very poor. Jeju island boasts many beautiful natural sites but instead of touring them Ray and Traci joined most of their fellow passengers who took shuttle bus rides to the Maeil Olle Market in downtown Jeju. 

The island is considered the “Hawaii of South Korea” and is known for its sandy beaches, unique oranges, Jeju black pork, and a variety of seafood. While touring the market Ray enjoyed tasty samples of oranges before buying one. They were sweet but not excessively so and had a unique taste that is hard to describe. The couple also bought a bowl of pork meat balls which were very good. The market is very similar to Seattle’s Pike Place Market with a variety of farm and freshly caught foods, many food stalls selling prepared foods and many other businesses selling souvenirs, apparel, cosmetics, among other things. While the market was full of ship passengers on this morning, the lack of English speaking merchants makes one think it must primarily cater to the native community, not tourists. The ship’s stay at Jeju was unfortunately short and the rainy weather further limited the activities but Ray and Traci enjoyed their brief visit and hope to return some day for a longer Jeju visit on a sunny day.

After their final sea day, the Anthem of the Seas arrived in Yokohama, Japan. Unfortunately, due to an afternoon arrival and a long immigration process, cruisers did not have many hours to visit Yokohama. Ray and Traci left the ship via taxi and arrived at the Red Brick Warehouse – a two building entertainment/restaurant/shopping complex in downtown Yokohama. This was Ray and Traci’s 5th visit to Japan one of their favorite foreign destinations. At the Red Brick Warehouse Traci bought a treat from Granny’s Apple Pies. She enjoyed her Dutch Crumble apple pie, Ray, however who is not a connoisseur of fine apple pies was less impressed. From the Red Brick Warehouse, they walked along the waterfront and came across the North Korean Spy Ship Museum. With a name like that, Ray and Traci had to duck into this free Coast Guard exhibition – in 2001 the Japanese chased and got into a gunfight eventually sinking an intruding ship – when it was raised, they concluded it was a North Korean spy ship. The actual ship is located in the museum complete with bullet holes and crew lapel pins of Kim II-sung, the long time leader of the rogue nation. An exhibit calling attention to the suspected and even admitted kidnapping of Japanese citizens by North Korea was also interesting.

From the Museum, the travelers went to a nearby shopping mall – Yokohama World Porters. 150 stores and restaurants are found inside, and a whole wing on the first floor houses several Hawaiian themed shops and eateries. Ray and Traci’s final Yokohama stop was a baseball game between the Yokohama DeNA Baystars and the Hanshin Tigers. The fans previously saw a game with the Hanshin Tigers in the Tokyo dome playing an exhibition against the American MLB team Tampa Bay Rays but this was their first outdoor regular season game. Ray previously purchased the tickets on stubhub.com. Yokohama’s baseball stadium is located downtown and holds about 34,000 fans. The game celebrated “Yokohama Girls Festival” – the first observation Ray noted was the majority of fans at the game were female. Many Hanshin Tigers fans attended the game, most of left field appeared to be a visitors section complete with a cheering squad. Instead of walk up music, each batter from both teams received a different chant by their faithful fans including a drum major and horn player which gave Ray a headache after a few innings. The Baystars gave away promotional jerseys which was a nice souvenir for Ray and Traci. Japanese baseball is now a throwback to how American baseball used to be – there is no pitch clock, pitchers bat in the lineup, and pitchers can prevent runners from stealing with unlimited throws to keep them close. Indeed, the Baystars game was only in the 6th inning when Ray and Traci needed to leave over 2 ½ hours into the game to return to the ship.

Friday was debarkation day for Ray and Traci. They had trouble connecting with their driver who went to the wrong cruise port – Yokohama has 2 different ports, one is downtown near the baseball stadium, the other is across the harbor at Daikoku, a twenty minute drive away. Make sure to clarify which port if traveling on a ship. Ray and Traci finally arrived at their new home for an extended Tokyo visit – the Tokyo Station Hotel. Built in 1915, the historic hotel located inside the Tokyo subway station was bombed in 1945 and then rebuilt with the latest renovation occurring in 2012. It is a very elegant hotel with a large art collection. Ray chose the hotel primarily due to its location two blocks from the Imperial Palace. Upon arriving the staff, many dressed in throwback uniforms in a long past era, was exceptionally formal and polite. Having arrived at 11 am, Ray and Traci checked in their luggage and left from Tokyo Station to Shinjuku to visit the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. One big improvement from their last visit to Japan was the use of phones to store “Suica” transit card information – now entering subways is just waving your phone over a sensor. Ray and Traci boarded a train, the JR Chuo line, the only one that crosses the big circle of the JR Yamanote line, that dropped them off 15 minutes later at the Shinjuku station. Before entering the park, they stopped at Isetan Shinjuku – one of Tokyo’s famed department stores. Passing up Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel Bags, they headed to the basement with its huge food court. Traci picked out a pork and rice dish while Ray purchased a chicken karaage with rice – both for about US $7 each and they headed to the National Garden. Many of the parks require an entrance fee – Ray and Traci had to pay 500 yen (US $3.50) each. The park is huge, 144 acres – much smaller than New York’s central park, but still impressive in this very urban city. Ray and Traci enjoyed their lunch on a bench and then wandered thru several of the gardens that inhabit the park. Large grassy fields and paved walkways separate the gardens. One area has very traditional Japanese décor around a network of ponds. A different garden has bushes that look like muffin tops. A large rectangular area is lined with different and labeled rose bushes but few were in bloom during this April visit. 

Unfortunately, Ray and Traci missed the ultra short sakara (cherry blossom) season with their late April visit. The travelers left the park and took the subway back to Tokyo Station and retired for the evening.

On Saturday morning, Ray and Traci started their day with a run around the Imperial Palace – one of the most iconic running sites anywhere in the world. Located two blocks from the Tokyo Station, runners circle just outside the moats and gates of the palace in a counter clockwise direction (6pm being the gate closest to the Tokyo Station). A lap is 3 miles. Ray actually had been nursing various running injuries since Thanksgiving and restricted running only to running tracks but he thoroughly enjoyed running on pavement for the first time in months. The weather was perfect for running with overcast skies and a mild chill in the air.

After the run, Ray and Traci enjoyed brunch at the Tokyo Station Hotel’s buffet. Like the hotel, the buffet was very elegant with American and Japanese favorites. Ray thought the tiny portion sizes were pretty funny – minimalist – but of course, you can have as many as you like. The Belgian waffles were thin and small, selections of fish and meats were practically bite sized. Appetites satiated, Ray and Traci rode a subway to Ueno station which is home to many of Tokyo’s museums and the zoo. They decided to visit the Tokyo National Museum which occupies a huge plot of land and consists of half a dozen or so buildings. Both Japanese history as well as other ancient cultures – Chinese, Egyptian – were well represented in the various exhibits. From a mummy to Samurai armor, visitors have a wide range of artifacts to study. Ray and Traci returned to the hotel after picking up some snacks at a “konbini” store. Convenience stores like 7-11, Family Mart, and Lawson are a way of life for the Japanese urban dwellers. The wide variety of available foods, microwaves, and ubiquitous locations make it very easy to quench one’s thirst or appetite. Retail, in general, seems so dead in America with numerous vacant storefronts in marquee locations like New York’s midtown or Seattle’s downtown core, but in Japan it is alive and well. It is hard to fathom how some of these small Japanese stores selling one type of knick knack or another manages to stay in business. 27 million people make the Tokyo area home, so there certainly is no shortage of consumers. Ray and Traci planned to take a boat ride along the Sumida River which flows thru central Tokyo but the weather turned rainy and instead they took a subway ride to Ginza to visit the Art Aquarium Museum. The Ginza neighborhood is the high end shopping mecca for Japanese with numerous designer boutiques and high rise department stores satisfying consumer needs for the latest fashion. The Art Aquarium Museum occupies the 8th floor (ticket office is on the 9th floor) of a complex that includes the giant Mitsukoshi Ginza store. The museum is a fun place to visit for all ages – 70 species of goldfish are presented in various aquariums in artful and creative displays. At current exchange rates $18 per person to spend a half an hour looking at goldfish may seem steep but you won’t likely see anything like it anywhere else.

To end the day, Traci picked up a chicken bento box at a train station food establishment while Ray went the more authentic route and purchased a US $4.30 10 piece chicken nuggets and large fries at the traditional Japanese restaurant McDonalds (ha ha!)

Ray and Traci awoke to brilliant sunshine on Sunday. They started the day by walking around the Imperial Palace. Home to Japan’s Emperor, the palace is surrounded by deep moats. On a Sunday morning, hundreds of runners, walkers, and running clubs circled the palace. Afterwards, the hotel buffet was more appealing to Ray today with sausage links as well as beef sukiyaki on the menu. The travelers then went back to the room and watched part of the Mariners game streamed over the internet – 6:40 pm games in Seattle are 10:40 am in Tokyo. The Mariners swung the lumber quite well and won 14-0. Ray and Traci next traveled to the uber popular Shibuya Sky – an observation platform 229 meters above the famous Shibuya scramble – an incredibly busy pedestrian intersection. Photos benefited from the sunny weather and all tickets for the attraction were sold out for the day. Fortunately, Traci made reservations in advance to get weekend tickets. 

Next stop on the agenda was a futuristic art show called teamlabs Planets – Incredibly popular, Traci got lucky and found tickets for Sunday evening. There are two different teamlab exhibitions in two different locations – teamlabs Planets and teamlabs Borderless. Ray and Traci couldn’t get Borderless tickets so they settled for Planets. From the Tokyo station they had to ride 3 different subway lines each for one or two stops to arrive at the exhibition. Even on a Sunday night, the place was packed and the majority of people were tourists. After entering the building, guests enter a locker room to store their shoes and socks and any valuables. Then they walk up a “sanitizing” water ramp like walking upstream in a shallow river. Inside the water exhibitions visitors are treated with a wide range of colorful LED art creations often surrounded by mirrored walls and floors. Several of the rooms were full of shallow water adding to the immersive nature of the art. In one area the water became knee deep so wear shorts to the exhibit. Some dry rooms had mirrored floors adding to the psychedelic displays enjoyed by visitors. After leaving the water rooms, shoes are put back on and other areas of investigation follow. One collection is called athletic forest where colorful displays form challenges to test your balance and agility. Another collection is called garden where live orchid plants fill a mirrored room. Another interactive experience uses their own smartphone app to find and “capture” animals to learn more about them. Overall the teamlabs experience was enjoyable, the water immersion did add something to the experience, and Japan is not the only country to have these exhibitions – others including the United States have been operating them.

Ray and Traci finished the evening with dinner at a train station restaurant – Ray had shrimp tempura udon and Traci had chicken oyakodon.

Monday was the last full day overseas. Ray and Traci planned a full day excursion to Hakone, a very popular tourist areas for foreigners and Japanese alike. The mountainous area has beautiful views of Mount Fuji as well as many picturesque Japanese landscapes. Hot springs also attract many visitors. From their Tokyo Station hotel, Ray and Traci took the direct train to Shinjuku - as they noted on previous trips to Japan, the very young age of some of the children on their way to school unaccompanied was surprising. They caught the “Romance” train that takes visitors to Hakone. A great guide to Hakone itineraries can be found at https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/course/244. The site describes the attractions found in the area, how to access them, and recommends the Hakone Free Pass, an all in one package for Hakone tourism. Once in Hakone, a local train, then a funicular that climbs a steep slope, and finally a ski area like gondola ride brought then to Owakudani – a volcanic valley with active sulfur vents and hot springs. As their gondola neared the summit everyone in Ray and Traci’s gondola gasped at the stunning view of Mount Fuji, the famous Japanese landmark.

Clouds and rain made Mount Fuji views very scarce the rest of the day so they were fortunate to get at least one spectacular glimpse of the mountain.  Next to the summit area, active sulphur vents were steaming away. 

Owakudani is known for black hard boiled eggs prepared in the hot springs with high levels of sulfur. Ray didn’t think his two eggs tasted much different than white eggs but legend states that one gains 7 years of extra life by eating an egg so he ate two just to be sure. A different gondola brings visitors down to Lake Ashi and its beautiful blue water. Several “pirate” ships traverse the lake – Ray and Traci took a round trip.

Unfortunately the cloudy weather prevented any further complete views of Mount Fuji. The now hungry tourists decided to take the gondola back up to Owakudani and have lunch at the Owakudani Station restaurant. Traci had their special Owakudani Curry while Ray had a less adventurous pork tonkatsu. The territorial views even on a cloudy day further added to the allure of the very efficient restaurant. Ray and Traci left Owakudani Station and took the reverse route to get back to their hotel. The whole gondola to funicular to train to romance car train and then the limited express from Shinkjuku to Tokyo took about 3 ½ hours. The Hakone itinerary sites discuss available shorter alternative ways of returning home via the Shinkansen.

Tuesday was the final day of their Asian adventures. Ray started the morning with one more run around the Imperial Palace. Ray and Traci enjoyed a final breakfast buffet at the hotel – this time Ray just ate two large portions of beef sukiyaki and rice, his favorite buffet dish even though it wasn’t exactly typical American breakfast food. Traci had more traditional selections including eggs and sausage. After breakfast, the couple completed final packing and checked in their luggage at the bell desk. First on the agenda was the Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku. On a previous trip to Japan, Ray wanted to go to the Robot Restaurant after watching Anthony Bourdain rave about it on his TV show. The Robot Restaurant didn’t survive COVID closures, but in its place, the Samurai Restaurant was created. Much of the décor and operation is the same (even some signs outside the restaurant still say Robot Restaurant). As before, the customers were almost exclusively “gaijin” – meaning foreigners - and even the workers spoke fluent English mostly without accents. Like the Robot Restaurant show, it was in your face loud music, singing, dancing, moving floats.

Ray couldn’t not tell you a single thing about the plot, and wouldn’t praise the choreography or musical performances but he thought it again was very entertaining. Many iconic Japanese things – Taiko drums, Dragons, Tori gates, Samurai sword play were all featured. For some reason the show is for 18 years + only – maybe due to the free sake they give all the guests? Ray didn’t see anything that would warrant even a PG rating in the US. Ticket purchases were given a choice of included meal but neither Ray nor Traci ate much given their hotel buffet feast earlier.

After the show, Ray and Traci took the train one stop and wandered around Shibuya to visit Miyashita park – a long elevated platform about the Shibuya scramble where kids skateboard, wall climb, and play other sports on a grass field high above the traffic. After the park, the travelers took the train one more stop to Ebisu and Traci enjoyed Taiyaki – a fish shaped dessert filled with sweet bean paste. Ebisu had a very popular spot called Taiyaki Hiiragi which even on a late Tuesday afternoon had a line of customers attracted to their treat. Ray and Traci’s adventure came to a conclusion with a subway ride back to the Tokyo Station Hotel, then a taxi ride to Haneda airport for the journey home back to Seattle.