Sarah on the road…

Japan Nikko & Tokyo 2-8 October 2024

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Sarah

A Gap Week

The raison d’etre of my visit to Japan is to join the Shikoku pilgrimage would take place from October 9 – 14. After Hokkaido, I flied to Tokyo, spending two nights in Nikko and three nights in Tokyo before spending a night at the Nikko Hotel at Osaka Kansai Airport to wait for the group from Hong Kong.

October 2 Sapporo – Tokyo

I toyed with the idea of purchasing a 7-day Japan Rail Pass for use after Hokkaido. As I find it increasingly difficult to travel with my luggage, I finally decided to fly when I found a cheap ticket on Spring Airlines. The plane took off around 11 am and I was in Narita an hour and a half later. I took an airport bus to Shinjuku and then a taxi to my hotel in Kabukicho. It was the first time I stayed in this entertainment district best known for adult-oriented nightlife. I am not interested in nightlife: a brief stay and people watching give me a feel about this district. The young people I have come across early in the morning all look pale and a bit weird. I suppose they might have stayed up the whole night drinking, smoking and having fun. It is an eye-opening experience. But I would unlikely return to stay in this area.

October 3-4 Nikko

Nikko is one of my favourite places in Japan. I was looking for foliage on my third visit. Unfortunately it was too early. On this occasion, I bought a 4-day Nikko All Area Pass (4780 yen) which covers a return ticket on local train on Tobu Railway between Asakusa and Nikko / Kinugawa Onsen, an extensive bus network in Nikko and a lake cruise. I had to pay an extra 1650 yen to take a limited express to Nikko. This was the first time I bought this pass. Though I would use it only for three days as I had to return to Tokyo on 5 October, I still considered it most value for money and would highly recommend it to visitors without car.

Despite the unstable weather, I enjoyed doing whatever my mood took me and my hip allowed me to do. I treasured my time in Nikko with many memorable moments.

First, I loved the long scenic ride to Lake Yunoko (with 45 stops) each day. Second, I visited the three most famous falls in Nikko and enjoyed walking 1-2 km through the wood or along the river to the Ryuzu and Yudaki Falls. For the Kegon Falls, I paid 600 yen to take a lift to a platform 100m below in order to have full view of the waterfall.

Third, I had a most atmospheric Lake Chuzenji sightseeing cruise. When I got on the boat, it was so foggy that I could not even see the boat till it was right in front of me at the pier. Then with ten minutes later, the sun suddenly pierced through thick cloud resulting in most beautiful lights and rolling mist over the lake.

Fourth, I took the train to Kinugawa Onsen and saw the Kinu River and the famous steam train in action.

Fifth, I was stuck in the Lake Yunoko for an hour owing to the rain. So I could not walk round the lake to Yodaki Falls as planned. But I enjoyed sitting in the cafe watching the rain, trout jumping out of water and talking with a French couple from Avignon. Later despite the rain, I went to the Yodaki Falls, then follow the boardwalk to Kodaki Falls and finally following the staircase next to the Yodaki Falls back to Lake Yunoko where I took a bus.

Finally, I was moved when an Austrian couple whom I ran into twice that day offered to give me a lift. As it started to drizzle and getting dark, I took their kind offer instead of standing in the rain to wait for a bus.

October 5 – 7 Reunion

On October 5, I had dinner with Miyo a friend I first met in Yellowknife Canada watching Northern Lights in 2014. She accompanied us hiking Mt Fuji in 2016. She is elegant and kind and we had a great time catching up while having most delicious sushi omakase.

On October 6 and 7, I went to Yokohama to meet Alan, my brother from Australia and Vicki, my sister-in-law. They just got off the boat in Yokohama after a 13-day cruise. It was wonderful to be able to meet up and spend time together. We had dim sum lunch in Yokohama China Town and sashimi and tempura in the fish market.

During my stay in Tokyo, I went to the National Art Centre to see “Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures of Memory”. Tanaami (1936-2024) is highly regarded as a pop-artist and modern border-crossing person. I don’t know him but am most impressed by his energy and 60+ years of creativity: as a prolific artist, his graphic designs, illustrations, paintings, collages, sculptures, animations, experimental videos, installations etc are iconic and distinctive.

After lunch in Yokohama, I went to Harajuku strolling aimless for almost two hours. It was wonderful to see a young dog-walker with 19 dogs. It was nice to window-shopping. I have no fashion sense and it is great to watch the young people in trendy fashion walking by. I sat outside Laforet watching people and the streetscape. Then I went to Tokyu Plaza which has an expansive green garden on the sixth floor. A nice urban escape!

I had never taken long distance bus in Japan. This time, I took the overnight bus leaving Shinjuku Express Bus station at 10:35pm. It was quite an experience. The Bus with 44 seats is neat, clean and tidy. There is a curtain between each seat (for privacy I suppose). Most the passengers were Japanese young ladies/girls probably under 30. I noticed that the men were assigned seats at the front. I do not fine the seat too comfortable (perhaps it is designed to meet Japanese preference and habits).

October 8 Osaka Kansai Airport

Today was a rest day as I had nothing particular I wished to do. I got off the bus at Namba Osaka shortly after 7 am. Then after having a breakfast in a nice coffee shop, I took the Nankai train to Kansai (970 yen) and waited till 2 am to check in Nikko Hotel at the airport. As the hotel Chinese restaurant offers a dim sum buffet, I might just as well enjoy a nice lunch before check-in. As a senior citizen over 65, I only had to pay 3600 yen for a buffet with a choice of 25 types of dim sum. The restaurant has elegant decor. Presentation of the dim sum was good though the dim sum in Hong Kong is more authentic and delicious. I spent the rest of the day in my comfortable room writing travel notes and read. A relaxing day

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Japan Hokkaido September 21-October 1, 2024

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Sarah

Why Japan?

I have joined a 6-day pilgrimage trip to Shikoku from 9 to 14 October. Hence, instead of returning to Hong Kong after the Northwest Passage, I decide to spend the gap time looking for foliage in Hokkaido.

September 21 Sapporo

I must be exhausted and managed to sleep on the 12-hour flight to Taipei. After a 3-hour transit in Taipei, I continued my journey to Sapporo which I visited in ?. I took the train to the city centre and stayed in Hotel Gracery opposite the station. I bought a 10-day Hokkaido train pass for 33,000 yen. Everything was settled and I went to bed after 8 pm.

September 22 -23 Sounkyo

I got up after 4 am after a good rest. So I set off before 8 am for Asahikawa where I took a local train to Kamikawa followed by a bus to Sounkyo (890 yen). The scenery of the 12.4-mile Sounkyo Gorge flanked by 100 meter high forested cliffs is impressive. I arrived at my destination around after 11:30 am. As I could not check in at Sounkyo Kankou Hotel till 3pm, I took a local bus departing at 12:50 pm with three stops at Ginga Waterfall, Obako and Taisetsu (450 yen). I met two ladies from Hong Kong on the bus. We went to the lake but there was nothing to see. We later discovered we should have got off at Obako for a close-up look at the gorge by the Ishikari River. On the way back, I got off at the Ginga Waterfall (350 yen). Here I got a good view of both the Ginga and Ryusei waterfalls. I walked 2km back to Sounkyo. The scenery is not impressive. After checking in, I spent time in the onsen which is good for my hip and back problem.

I got up very early the next day and was ready to visit Mt Kuro (1984m). Visitors can take a cable car to the fifth station followed by chair lift to the seventh station for 3,300 yen return. The cable car begins to run at 6 am. I was on the 6:20am cable car and reached the seventh station after 7 am. I was lucky as the weather was good. I watched clouds rolling in the Sounkyo Gorge and the sea of clouds over the mountain range. I began my ascent after 7:15am. While an average hiker takes about an hour to hike 1.7 km with an ascent of 452m to the top of Mt Kuro. Given my hip problem, I walked slowly and struggled to climb over the stony path. I thought of giving up at one point. Anyway, I was thrilled to reach the top just before 9:30am. I loved the tranquility and warm sunshine and could spend the whole day there. But as the weather could change quickly, I had to pull myself up and began the descent which was slightly easier. But I had to be cautious with descent to the seventh station.

I also followed a 360-m path to the Amaryo Falls viewing platform before taking the chair lift. While sitting on the chair lift, I realised I had left my walking poles before getting on the chair lift. The staff told me to get back to pick up my poles. I therefore had a free scenic ride! Before taking the 3:20 pm cable car, I had a quick lunch as I was hungry and thirsty. I was tempted to hike to see the Momiji Falls known for the foliage. But after walking for 20 minutes, I decided not to go. I was afraid I might have already done too much.

September 24 Abashiri & Lake Notoro

My second destination was the Lake Notoro to see “coral grass”. I took the 7:50am bus to return to the Kamikawa station and waited for almost two hours for the 10:24 train to Abashiri. Then I waited for over an hour for a bus to Lake Notoro (640 yen) which would depart after 1:30pm. By the time I reached the hotel Kagaryi by the grass field, I was able to check in. The traditional Japanese guesthouse is most comfortable. After leaving my bag in the room, I headed to the field which is opposite the guesthouse. I went to the onsen before having a sumptuous dinner at 6 pm. What a treat!

September 25 Shiretoko National Park

I set off after having a big breakfast at Kagaryi. The bus at 8:53 am took me to Abashiri train station. The train departed at 10:20 am and arrived at Shiretoro-Shari station around 11 am. I caught a connecting bus to Utoro Onsen at 11:15 am (1,650 yen). I originally booked Shiretoro Village which is 15 minutes’ walk from the bus station. On arrival, I found I could not walk with two small but heavy backpacks. Hence, I simply went to stay at the Bon’s Home with good reviews close to the bus station. The owner is very helpful and polite. I ended up paying 7,800 yen for accommodation, breakfast and dinner. On reflection, I thought I had made a good decision as I lost no time to start my exploration. Once I put down my backpack, I returned to the bus station to take a bus to the Natoinal Park (1,400 yen for a bus ticket).

Shiretoko National Park a World Heritge Site covers most of the Shiretoko Peninsula with an area of 386 sq km at the northeastern tip of the island of Hokkaido. Most of the peninsula is only accessible on foot or by boat. It has an estimated population of 500 brown bears. It is also home of many birds such as Steller’s sea eagle and white-tailed eagle, and marine animals such as spotted seal, orca and sperm whale. It has a hot springs waterfall called Kamuiwakka Falls.

I arrived at the entrance of the Five Lakes just before 1 pm. I had to pay 250 yen for taking the 3-km Five Lake trail and attend a mandatory briefing on safety measures to be taken to protect brown bears as well as hikers. I began the hike just before 1:30 pm. At Lake No 3, I met a nice couple from Hong Kong who kindly gave me a lift to the visitor centre instead of taking the scheduled bus. As a result, I had time to take a 2-km trail to see Furepe no Taki Falls near the Visitor Centre. I took the last bus at 4:45pm back to Utoro.

In the evening, I joined a 2-hour night wildlife trip. I saw a bear, plenty of deer and a fox. I had a great day!

September 25 Shiretoko National Park & Kushiro

My original plan would be to take the 9:30am bus to get a train at Shari to Kushiro followed by another train to Nemuro. But when I passed by a shop offering a 3-hour boat ride at 9am to Cape Shiretoko for 9500 yen, I decided to take the cruise. The 3-hour cruise was cut short to two hours owing to strong winds and waves and I got a refund of 3000 yen. Anyway, I was pleased to see the 200-m high sea cliffs, numerous sea caves, spectacular rock formations, several waterfalls and got a glimpse of the plains, gorges and valleys, forests and plains, and mountain ranges. We also saw a bear and a school of tuna.

As the cruise was over by 11am, I was able to walk up the Oronco Rock for a panoramic view of Utoro and the sea. I took the 12:30pm bus to Shari and spent three hours waiting at the train station for the train to Kushiro. For some unkown reasons, the train went very slowly at times and eventually arrived at Kushiro half an hour late. The last train to Nemuro had gone. So I had to spend a night at Kushiro. But all the hotels were fully booked. After walking to five hotels near the station, I gave up and eventually paid 31000 yen to stay at Crown Plaza by the cruise terminal! Someone told me that they had some events for youth and all hotels were full. Ridiculous!

September 27 A Frustrating Travel Day Kushiro – Nemuro

Today was a frustrating day. I planned to take the 11:15 am train to Nemuro. Around 11 am, the board announced the train was cancelled. I asked the station staff who told me to wait for the next one at 1:25 pm. I went to a bakery and had a coffee and cake. When I planned to go to the platform, the board indicated the train was cancelled. I was told to wait for the next one at after 4pm. I returned to the bakery and waited. Nothing I could do! The train departed on schedule but was delayed when a deer ran across the track. Later it stopped again. It was 7:20 when it arrived at Nemuro (half an hour late). It was raining and I walked almost half an hour before reaching the guesthouse. The owner is a young America who was able to tell me that they had an earth quake the day before and had heavy rain for two days. As a result, they had to check the tracks and repair as necessary. I could understand the reason for the delay. But I could not understand why the railway management / staff at the control gate could not put up a board/notice in simple English informing non-Japanese passengers what was going on.

September 28 A Frustrating Travel Day Nemuro – Kushiro

I want to travel to Nemuro at the eastern end of the train line in Hokkaido. From Nemuro, I can visit Cape Nosappu located at the easternmost point of Japan. It is the earliest place in Japan to see the sunrise on mainland Japan and home to the oldest lighthouse in Hokkaido built in 1872. It is also famous for being able to see the Northern Territories including Shikotan, Kunashiri, Etorofu and Habomai Islands. I have been planning to visit these islands which are now under Russian sovereignty and have been a point of conflict between Russia and Japan. Standing at Cape Nosappu, I can understand the Japanese frustration and sorrow for losing these territories to Russia after WWII. All politics!

September 29 Kushiro – Sapporo – Otaru

I took the express train from Kushiro to Sapporo (8:32 am-12:45pm). After checking in JR Inn next to the station after 3 pm, I was able to take a train to revisit Otaru. The sun was setting and most tourists had gone. Few shops except the eateries were open. I had a deluxe seafood bowl for 4800 yen with sea urchins and toro before taking the 6:30 train back to Sapporo.

September 30 – Lake Toya & Noborebutsu

Today, I took a 2-hour train to Lake Toya which is a volcanic caldera lake. It is part of “ToyaCaldera and Usu Volcano Global Geopark”. I had to take a 25-minute bus to Toyako Onsen. I enjoyed my peaceful promenade walk, taking a footbath in a hot spring before visiting the pleasant and peaceful. Mt Yoteisan was half hidden in the cloud. I visited the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark which has excellent illustrations. I took a short walk behind the museum where traces of disasters of the 2000 eruptions with damaged buildings and roads are visible. I took the 2:55 pm bus back to the train station and took a train to Noborebutsu at 3:30pm

By the time I arrived at Noborebutsu, the bus to the onsen had left. Then three other Japanese heading to the onsen asked me to join a pool taxi. I gladly jumped into the taxi and arrived at the onsen before 4:30 pm.Instead of paying 350 yen for the bus, I only paid 670 yen for a shared taxi. Wonderful. I walked quickly to the Hell Valley as the sun was setting. The landscape is impressive. I spent almost an hour in peace as most tourists had gone. I took the 6:25pm bus to the station and managed to

October 1 Biei & Furano

Today was my last day to use my train pass in Hokkaido. I took the 8am train from Sapporo to Biei via Asahikawa and then a local bus to the Shirogane Blue Pond. The pond is fairly small with a large crowd. I stayed for more than an hour before taking 12:16pm bus to Shirogane Hot Spring to see the Shirahige Waterfall with a truss bridge. Both the Pond and the Waterfall are worth seeing.

I took a bus back to the Biei train station and waited a while for the 2:19pm train to Furano which is famous for its lavender and flower fields. But the lavender season was over and it was difficult to move around without a car. At the station I discover that another local train would be leaving for Takikawa at 4:28pm and arriving at Sapporo around 6pm. This would be much faster than the route Furano – Asahikawa – Sapporo. Also I would see different areas. So I only had time to take a short walk near the station and had a drink in a nice new hostel called Tomar. the train ride was a nice surprise: the train with purple decor inside has a nostalgic feel! The sun was setting over the valley. It turned out to be a scenic train ride. Life is always full of nice surprises if one is flexible and adventurous!

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Northwest Passage Canada – USA September 15 – 19, 2024

Posted on September 15, 2024 by Sarah

Day 15 September 10 Queen Maud Gulf – At Sea

We sailed the whole day. The Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary located in the Gulf is Canada’s largest protected area. Unfortunately, no activity was allowed. I attended Alessandro’s interesting lecture on “plankton” in the morning and Julie’s promotional talk on “Le Commandant Charcot Destinations“. I am most interested in an inaugural route from Hobart to Cape Town in 2025. But it is outrageously expensive. I watched the debate between D Trump and K Harris in the evening. I find Trump’s anti-immigration remarks about Haitians eating pet dogs and cats shocking and ridiculous.

Day 16 September 11 Edinburgh Island Nunavut

We spent a full day in Edinburgh Island: the plan was to make two hiking trips in different parts of the island. I joined an intermediate group and hiked for an hour and a half. The landscape and tundra scenery were most impressive. We were lucky to spot and watch an Arctic fox before returning to the boat.

The weather was superb. After lunch, I got ready to take a zodiac ride at 2 pm for another hike at the eastern end of the island. Unfortunately, two brown bears were spotted near a nearby beach. As a result, the landing was cancelled and we could only take an hour’s zodiac cruise to enjoy the impressive land formation and tundra colours. We spotted a couple of nests on the cliffs. While some passengers were upset, I took whatever came with ease and had a most enjoyable afternoon cruise.

In the evening, I attended a concert “Around the World” performed by the five artists. Their round the world journey only covered US, Australia, Brazil, Jamaica, Spain and France. This can’t be a RTW trip today- it should include Asia and Africa!

Day 17 September 12 Ulukhaktok, Victoria Island NWT

Victoria Island is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago and Canada’s second largest island with an area of 217,291 sq km. It was a sunny and hot day by Arctic standard. We landed in Ulukhaktok (also known as Holman) with about 500 inhabitants in the afternoon and had over an hour to explore on our own. Some passengers even had a round of golf. I walked along the bay and had an interesting chat with the deputy mayor who is a hunter with another job with the local government. I am impressed by the high standard of community facilities and housing (as compared with other communities we had visited). The inhabitants care about the place which is kept impressively tidy and clean. At 4pm, we gathered at the community hall for an excellent cultural performance. Different groups performed drums and dance with passion and enthusiasm. Our expedition team and some guests joined in and had fun. The last zodiac was supposed to be at 5:30pm. But the locals did not want the party to end. As a keen supporter, I was almost the last one to leave the hall and took the last zodiac just before 6 pm.

This is our only landing in Inuvialuit. I am most impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of the locals and the local store I visited was well-stocked including beautiful fabric and fur items. The coats lined with fur worn by a few locals are most beautiful. Before jumping into the last zodiac, I had char sashimi generously given to us by a 86-year-old lady on the beach.

Day 18 September 13 Smoking Hills Northwest Territories

Located on the east coast of Cape Bathurst at the junction of the Amundsen Gulf in the Northwest Territories , next to the Arctic Ocean, Smoking Hills contain strata of hydrocarbons (oil shales) that have been burning continuously for centuries. Considered one of the most fascinating, mysterious and unique natural phenomena on the planet, the cliffs were named by Sir John Franklin on his 1826 expeditions. Smoking Hills with countless smoke columns emanating from cliffs coloured in ochre and crimson are surreal. As I was on the last zodiac cruise that would set off after 10 am, I had time for the 30-minute stretch class. during the 90- minute cruise, we got close to the cliffs. It was cloudy and I thoroughly enjoyed a most atmospheric zodiac cruise. But the sea was choppy and I almost had seasickness.

In the afternoon, I attended a lecture “Inuit life of the 1920s-1960s” given by Gwen (an Inuit) and Murielle. I have been to Greenland and Nunavat before. However, it is the first time I have heard so much from an Inuit about her own history, upbringing and culture. That evening just before midnight, the Captain told us through the public address system that northern lights had appeared. I put on warm clothes and spent an hour on deck. With the night mode of my Xiaomi, I could see faint green and blue (?) colours. Unfortunately, it soon became misty and I returned to bed.

Day 19 September 14 Sailing in Beaufort Sea

We sailed straight for five days till we got off the boat in Nome. I found time passing by as quickly as before. I attended three lectures – “Apnea” relating to free diving, “Mastering your camera: Tips and Tricks“; and “Invasive Species in the Arctic“. We also had a caviar tasting with music in he main lounge. In the evening, we were encouraged to take part in “Saturday Night Fever”. Unfortunately few guests turned up! Perhaps we are all too old for disco dancing. The highlight of the day came when the captain told us to watch northern lights on deck. The lights were more active and stronger tonight though the green and purple colours were only visible with the aid of the phone. I ended up staying up till almost 3 am watching the lights moving rapidly above my head and from the balcony of my room. Wonderful!

Day 20 September 15 Beaufort Sea

Life at sea continued. We had a lecture on “The Inuvialuit” one of the four Inuit regions in Canada, followed by another on “Greenland Shark” which can live for a few hundred of years! In the afternoon, the Chief Engineer and Staff Captain gave a surprisingly interesting talk about the “Construction and Design of Le Boreal and Things behind the Scene“. The highlight today was the Crew Talent Show with the participation of 12 teams. All staff had put in a lot of efforts: some danced, sang, performed magic show, played the piano etc. The show lasted for over two hours. I was glad that the housekeeping team won the contest!

Day 21 September 16 Chukchi Sea

Today, I was busy attending lectures and workshop. David, the expedition team leader, gave an interesting talk on “Poles“. I had a more comprehensive talk on “The Canadian Arctic Expeditions 1913-1918“. Then I took part in a workshop on “Apnea“, and attended a presentation on “Around the World by Bicycle” by Fanny and Gabriel, two expedition team members. I was in a good mood and even went to the Main Lounge after dinner to listen to piano melody by Greg Gigante, Safety Officer of Le Boreal.

Day 22 September 17 Moon Festival at Chukchi Sea

Today was the Moon Festival, an auspicious festival in Chinese calendar. The Captain gave us a big surprise: the boat was surrounded by extensive sea ice when we woke up. We had our last zodiac cruise among sea ice and a surprise champagne party on ice floe. An once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the Moon Festival. My friends and I were once again the last passengers to return to the boat. At 11:30 am our Chinese friends (22 in total) from the Mainland organised a party on the observation lounge to celebrate the festival. I joined and we sang, drank my second glass of champagne of the day and had a small piece of mooncake.

In the afternoon, I attended lectures on “Sexy Lichens” and “The Iditarod Trail Dog Race” and workshop on “Adobe Lightroom Demonstration” and “Apnea“. We had a warm farewell cocktail and presentation of Le Boreal crew before attending the gala dinner.

Day 23 September 18 Diomede Islands & King Island, Alaska

Today was the last sailing day. I was thrilled when I saw a full moon (for the first time on this expedition) from my balcony around 7:30 am. It was most enchanting and warmed my heart. I stayed on deck taking photos and watching the boat sailing towards the Diomede Islands: the Big Diomede Island belongs to Russia while the Little Diomede Island is part of US territory. The weather was perfect: we spent most of the time on deck. Before lunch, I attended a lecture on “Salmon fishing in Alaska” and an “Apnea workshop”. In the afternoon, we had a lecture on “Cetaceans of the Arctic” before scenic navigation of the King Island. Before dinner, we gathered for the last time in the theatre watching a video of the expedition before dinner. It brought back many happy memories.

In the evening, I went to the theatre for an experience sharing “23 days in Kayak in Greenland Ice” with Ben of the expedition team. Ben is soft spoken and quiet. But he gave passionate talk on his kayak days in Greenland before joining the boat. Wonderful!

September 19 End of Expedition Nome – Seattle

We had to get up very early as the US immigration officers came on board before 7 am. We collected our passport ready for disembarkation. The weather was poor rainy and grey when I stepped off the boat around 8:30am. Goodbye Le Boreal!

We spent a few hours in Nome before flying to Seattle at 2 pm. Today Nome, home to the Inupiat natives and known for its Gold Rush 1898 to 1909, has a population of about 3,700 (2020 census). There is a kind of frontier town feel and I find it hard to imagine it once had a population of some 10,000. I first took a bus tour to see muskoxen outside the town before taking a museum tour. The display and illustrations are excellent. I learn the history of the gold rush and how gold was mined in Nome as well as the remarkable history of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race which began in 1925. As a diphtheria epidemic raged in Nome, the territory-wide blizzard conditions prevented the delivery of diphtheria antitoxin serum to Nome. A relay of dog sled teams successfully delivered the serum from Anchorage to Nome.

The weather had improved. I enjoyed spending half an hour strolling along main street visiting the Salon (since 1900), the Visitor Centre, a shop selling souvenirs and another selling marijuana products. It is sad to see many houses especially along the shore destroyed by Typhoon Merbok on September 17, 2022, are still in need of repair.

We had a 4-hour flight to Seattle. As my connecting flight to Taipei-Sapporo would be departing around 1 am, I said goodbye to Maria, Karen and Heidi and stayed at the airport. Fortunately I was able to check in shortly after 9 pm and relaxed in a lounge till the plane took off about 1 am on 20 September.

Remarks (to add)

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Northwest Passage Canada 3-9 September 2024

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Sarah

Northwest Passage

The NW Passage refers to the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada often blocked by ice. The most well-known expedition in search of the passage was led by Sir John Franklin in 1845 that ended in disaster without any survivor. An ice-bound route was discovered in 1850 by Robert McClure during his search of Franklin’s missing party. Roald Amundsen became the first person to find a route making a complete passage in 1903-1906. The passage essentially comprises three sections: east of Baffin Island – Greenland; centre comprising Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and west – coast of the Bering Strait.

Inuit Nunangat

Inuit are the descendants of the Thule people who emerged from the Bering Strait and western Alaska around 1000CE. They are believed to have split from the related Aleut group about 4000 years ago and from northeastern Siberian migrants. They then spread eastern across the Arctic. In Canada, Inuit formed the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in 1971 (from the former Inuit Tapirisat of Canada). Today, Inuit Nunangat is made up of four distinct regional homelands: Inuvialuit (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut Northern Labrador) that became its own territory in 1999.

Day 8 September 3 Pond Inlet, Nunavat

As we would be sailing the whole morning, we attended two lectures in the morning: one on “Centralisation and development of Greenland” and the other by Nick on iphone photography (1).

Pond Inlet is not strange to me as I was there on 11 and 13 August 2018 with a Canadian expedition. As it took a while to clear customs, we could not disembark till almost 3 pm. We had the same programme beginning with a cultural performance in the community hall with a dozen performers including a 70-year-old lady who looks fit and healthy. I remember the twin sisters! The performance including throat singing, Inuit games, dance, kicking, competition etc. last for over an hour. I remember some of the faces and took photos with my old friends! Afterwards, we had a quick stop at the museum. It started to drizzle and I was back on the boat around 6pm.

Day 9 September 4 Lancaster Sound & Crocker Bay

In 2018, I visited the Dundas Harbour and Croker Bay. This time, we had a morning cruise at Lancaster Sound enjoying our first Arctic icescape. The weather was perfect and we stayed on Deck 7 with panoramic views. We saw a bearded seal with a big wound on ice too. I also attended a lecture “When Nunavut was created“

In the afternoon, we had zodiac cruise to see glaciers and icebergs in Croker Bay. We saw gorgeous icebergs in amazing shapes and all shades of blue. There were plenty of seals in the bay too. We celebrated the great day with a glass of champagne in the zodiac. In the evening, I watched a documentary movie “Ice and sky“.

Day 10 September 5 Beechey Island & Devon Island Nunavut

We had arctic weather this morning: cold, grey and miserable. We visited the most well-known historical site associated with Franklin’s lost expedition which set off from the UK in 1845 with a total of 129 officers and men on HKS Erebus and HMS Terror under the command of Sir John Franklin (1786- June 847). Their task was to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the NW Passage int he Canadian Arctic and to record magnetic data to further understanding on navigation in the region. They had three years’ provision on board and wintered on Beechey Island in 1845-46. They were icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island and both vessels were abandoned in April 1848 by which point Franklin and two dozen men had died. The rest led by Francis Crozier (second-in-command) and James Fitzjames (Erebus’s captain) headed south setting out for the Canadian mainland and eventually perished. Their mysterious disappearance sparked off a spate of search for the lost men and research studies. In 2014, a research team of Park Canada located the wreck of Erebus in the eastern portion of Queen Maud Gulf. The wreck of Terror was located south of the King William Island in 2016.

In the afternoon we visited another archeological site at Caswell Tower which features impressive and imposing geological feature. It was a grey bleak day with drizzle and fog. I walked a long way along the beach to see several Thule remnants with bowhead whale bones. Atmospheric!

Day 11 September 6 Creswell Bay Somerset Island & Bellot Strait

I signed up for a morning canyon walk on Fury Island which landscape has turquoise green water and sheer cliffs reminiscent of the Grand Canyon or the High Atlas in Morocco. But before 8am, we spotted four bears on the beach. Their presence changed our plan: we stayed onboard watching a big male bear and a mom with two cubs for almost an hour. No landing!

The expedition team decided to arrange us to visit an archeological sites at Creswell Bay to visit a large Thule settlement with many units built with bowhead whales. The main one has as many as 15 bowhead whale bones. The polar desert landscape is surreal especially on a beautiful sunny day with blue sky and reflections. The water was crystal clear with a sort of jelly fish! I had a most wonderful and relaxing walk for an hour. The boat set sail for Bellot Strait around 3pm.

I attended a lecture on “Did Franklin eat his shoes again?” that refreshed my memory of this disastrous expedition. Unfortunately by the time we arrived at the entrance of the strait, it was around 8 pm. We were told we would have a scenic sailing through the 17-km long strait which has various locations with history. It was getting dark and foggy. Apart from seeing Fort Ross at the entrance, we hardly saw much. Nothing one can do with the weather! At 10pm, I went to the main lobby to enjoy live music for half an hour. There were only two guests at the lobby after a group of officers left. I stayed on till the end to support the singer with a lovely sweet voice

Day 12 September 7 No Landing at Pasley Bay & Crusing

After stretching exercise and a good breakfast, I got ready for a medium walk on the Pasley Bay which is located on the east side of the Boothia Peninsula and laying on the east side of Larsen Sound near the entrance to James Ross Strait, north of King William Island. Henry Larson overwintered on the second successful transit of the Passage, going west to east and passing through Bellot Strait in 1940-42. The landscape is supposed to include a low gravel and bog foreshore populated with sedge and cotton grasses. We were on the zodiac around 9:30 am heading to the shore only to be told to turn back five minutes later: a bear was spotted nearby and all passengers had to be evacuated. Back to the boat! C’est la vie on an expedition.

The weather and strong wind meant nothing could be arranged. I attended Nick’s iphone photography (2) on “How to organise your image” in the afternoon and Daniela’s talk “Polar bear: The Lord of the Ice“. At the Officers’ Dinner tonight, I was on a table with two young female French navigation officers and three other passengers. I learnt a lot about their work at the bridge and life of officers on board.

Day 13 September 8 M’Clintock Channel

The Captain decided to make a diversion north to the M’Clintock Channel to give us the last chance to see and experience sea ice. We were not disappointed: an hour-long zodiac cruising among the sea ice gave us an opportunity to understand the formation and beauty of sea ice that is different from ice broken from icebergs. It was atmospheric as it was foggy with a melancholic atmsophere.

I watched a documentary “The Great Ice Bear” at 11 am and attended a lecture on Roald Amundsen in the afternoon. For the second time, I watched the show ”Singing in Paris” performed by the five artists of Le Boreal in the Main Lounge till 10 pm. A full day!

Day 14 September 9 Gjoa Haven Nunavut

Gjoa Haven, a town in King William Island named after Amundsen’s boat, where Amundsen spent two years living and learned the Inuit way of life for survival in harsh Arctic environment. Today it has a population over 1,000 with a majority of young people. We disembarked after 1:30pm and I spent three and a half hours ashore. There is a small museum on Inuit life and culture. I flipped through a book on the discovery of HKS Investigator that made two voyages (1848-1853) to the Arctic to search for Franklin’s ill-fated expedition. It was abandoned in 1853 after becoming trapped in the pack ice. In 2010, a research team led by Park Canada located the wreck of Investigator in Mercy Bay at the northern tip of Aulavik National Park on the northern end of Banks Island.

At 4 pm we gathered in the community hall for an hour’s performance by local artists, two female throat singers and six dancers. David and his team members, and some passengers danced with the locals. I was glad to see many kids and local people coming to watch the show, had snacks (soup made with salmon and caribou and bread) and danced. I took many photos of the lovely kids.

Tonight, I signed up for a dinner with a naturalist. It was like a blind date as I did not know who would be the host. I was indeed delighted to find Max as our host. He is a good story-teller telling us vividly about his close encounter (less than 100m) with a big bear in Pasley Bay. This is a once-in-a-life time experience. He was calm when he looked into the bear’s eye. He felt the bear was just as shocked to see him and had no intention to attack him. After gazing at each other for a brief moment, the bear stepped back but came forward shortly afterwards (he gathered there was a slope and the bear had to advance in order to walk away). At this point, he fired at the sky and the bear ran away. After a delightful dinner I watched a 2-hour movie “Roald Amundsen” in Norwegian with English subtitles. Another long active day!

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Northwest Passage: Greenland 28 August – 2 September 2024

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Sarah

The NW Passage is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. Le Boreal’s journey called “The Northwest Passage, in the wake of Roald Amundsen” suggests the route taken would follow those of Amundsen (1872-1928). Amundsen was the first explorer who succeeded in navigating the passage from 1903 to 1906 in Gjoa Havn, a small vessel (47 tonnes) with a crew of six men.

Day 1 August 28 Paris – Kangerlussuaq – Le Boreal

Our flight would depart Paris CDG Airport for Kangerlussuaq at 10am. We took ten minutes to walk to the airport for check-in. Things went smoothly and the flight departed on schedule. I love Greenland after travelling with Oceanwide from August 7 to September 2, 2015 from Disco Bay to Thule. After flying for five hours, we landed shortly after 1 pm (local time). We had a light lunch at the restaurant by Lake Ferguson before proceeding to the port where I had my first sight of Le Boreal.

I was pleased to step into my room which would be my home for the next 22 days. I unpacked and attended mandatory briefing and safety drill. We had a short briefing before dinner where we met Captain Charbel Daher, David, the expedition leader and the team. I was totally exhausted by the time I went to bed.

Day 2 August 29 Sisimiut

Founded in 1756, Sisimiut is the second largest town in Greenland after Nuuk, the capital city. The colourful stilt houses dot the underlying landscape. I went ashore after 9:30am and spent the whole morning strolling around a number of historical buildings including an old blue church (Bethel Church 1775), the new Sisimiut Church perching on a hill top, a museum on the history of the Inuit people, the town itself and the World Heritage Site of Aasivissuit-Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea (covering an area of 4178 sq km). This is my first visit to this town and I am impressed by the high quality interactive interpretations and presentations of the museum and in the churches. All guests had a chance to sample local cuisine. We returned to the boat for lunch.

At 1:30pm, I joined a group for a medium hike to see archeological sites of first settlers in the area. Given my hip problem, I found the rocky terrain challenging. At one point, I thought of turning back. Then I switched to a ‘relax’ group and walked with ease. Murielle, the archeologist, gave interesting explanations on site. The scenery and weather were gorgeous. I got back to the boat around 4pm. Before a Gala Dinner, we attended the Welcome Cocktail with Captain Charbel Daher and his officers.

Day 3 August 30 Ilulissat

Ilulissat, the third largest town in Greenland, seems to have grown since my last visit in 2015. The sea was rough with big waves. I was lucky to stay dry during the long zodiac ride to the pier located in the busy fishing port. I was surprised to find altogether four cruise ships in Ilulissat. We had a bus ride to the starting point of the 1.3km-long broad- walk to see the Ilulissat Icefjord, a World Heritage Site. It was cold and windy and I walked very slowly and took a while to reach the view point. Before taking the last bus at noon, I spent almost an hour in the museum. However I confess I did not have enough time to see all the exhibits. On the zodiac ride back to the boat, we were soaked in sea water as the zodiac was battling with strong wind and big waves.

Day 4 August 31 Sermigdlip Kangerdlua & Akulleq

We appreciated Captain Daher’s decision to take early departure from Ilulissat. The weather today was excellent. We had a wonderful zodiac cruising among icebergs in Sermigdlip Kangerdlua.

After lunch, we set foot on Akulleq, a desert island in Uummannaq Bay. The moonscape is impressive and surreal with mineral of remarkable ochre yellow and orange as well as foliage colours of red, yellow, and orange. I had one walking pole and managed to hike almost to the top for amazing panoramic views of the bay marred with countless icebergs in most impressive forms. We also found an archeological site comprising a fox trap on this island. Murielle pointed out how the trap worked. Apparently there is one more trap on the island. I had a most wonderful day!

Day 5 September 1 Kullorsuaq

We sailed the whole morning and had a leisure time onboard. We reached Kullorsuaq before 3 pm. We were the last group to leave the boat at 3:50pm. Once we were ashore, we watched a demonstration by a traditional hunter (who is 66) on the use of the harpoon for hunting. I later met him and his 74-year-old brother and took many photos with them.

I wandered around this small community that is still lives off fishing and seal or bear hunting. The houses look worn out and discolored: not as prosperous as compared with those we have visited. I saw many children with smiles. They look happy and healthy! I spoke with a teacher from Nuuk who would be leaving in two days for Nuuk. She and her children moved here a year ago when she took up a teaching post. Then one of her four children is sick and the medical service here is inadequate. The child accompanied by her father and siblings has to go back to Nuuk for treatment. She therefore decides to return to the capital and stay with her family. Life is harsh!

I had problems with walking at first. Then I walked with ease with two walking poles. I was happy to finally reach the top for a panoramic view before heading back to the beach. Before catching the last zodiac back to the boat, I took plenty of photos with a local family and their relatives. Le Boreal sail to Savissivik which is over 300 NM away.

Day 6 September 2 Savissivik

We sat the clock back an hour. Unfortunately, my mobile phone did not change automatically. I went for breakfast after 7 am and thought I had plenty of time as I would not set off till 8:35 am. Alas, when I asked a staff for time, I discovered I only had ten minutes to get ready. I rushed off without finishing my breakfast! Our group had 45 minutes of zodiac cruising before landing on an archeological site with both Saqqaq and Thule remains. The area is known as iceberg graveyard. We had a nice cruise around medium-sized iceberg. I forgot my walking pole. Luckily, the the path was covered with fresh snow and was not too slippery or steep. I managed to see both sites. We were back on the boat before 11 am.

Once we were all on board, we set sail to Canada. We had two lectures today- “The Frozen North: Exploring Glaciology and Greenland’s Arctic Landscape” by Lorena, and ‘Arctic Archeology” by Murielle. I enjoyed both talks.

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Pre-Northwest Passage: UK & France 18-27 August 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Sarah

Why the Northwest Passage?

The historical Northwest Passage (the Passage) has never been on my bucket list. Then in March 2024 while travelling on the Silver Cloud, I discovered a good deal on Le Boreal Ponant that charges no single supplement on the Passage this summer. The expedition would begin in Paris on 28 August ending in Seattle on 19 September. I signed up and decided to spend four days in London to visit old friends and four days to explore Provence before arriving at Paris CDG Airport on August 27. Two friends, Maria and Karen whom I first met on a foliage trip in Xinjiang decided to join. Heidi, a friend of Maria also joined. We end up having four ladies from Hong Kong on the boat!

Paris 18 August 2024

I left Hong Kong just before midnight on 17 August and arrived before 8 am in Paris. I got a day pass for 18 euro. I first took a train to Gare du Nord. As I could not check in till 3 pm, I made full use of the pass by taking a bus tour and found Paris dead quiet on Sunday. After having a Lebanese brunch, I took a metro to National Museum of Asian Arts-Guimet at Pl d’Lena. I spent two hours looking at Greco-Buddhist art (Gandhara art) mostly from present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, Serindian (Xinjiang) and Chinese art, Indian art (Amaravati and Mathura style, the Gupta and Pala period etc), Southeast Asian art from Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand), Myanmar and Japan.

The exhibitions are well illustrated (mostly in French with some English). with my hip problem, I can’t and should not walk too long. After standing for over two hours in the museum, I took the bus back to the hotel and was ready to sleep by 8pm.

London 19-22 August 2024

After a good sleep, I got up fresh and ready for taking Eurostar to London. It took me less than ten minutes to walk to Gare du Nord and I had a comfortable 2-hour ride to St Pancras station next to King’s Cross Train Station. I found a room in a basic hotel opposite the station. Nothing fancy and clean, bright and airy! I simply stayed in my room reading till I decided to look for a musical. I picked “Next to Normal” at Wyndham’s Theatre. I paid for 50 pounds for a good seat in the royal circle. It is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief. The wife and mother lost her boy developed depression and bipolar disorder. The singing and acting are powerful with a storyline that is sadly fairly common these days. I have not been to a musical for many years. I really enjoy the show. Unfortunately, with hearing problem probably set off by a flu after my trip to Australia, I found the thundering music almost beyond my tolerance. I can no longer take heavy and loud music in future.

For the next three days, I met Steuart (my former boss in Brussels), Emily (a good friend from HK), Betty (whom I met in the UK), Carla (my roommate in India) and Robert (a former colleague) for lunch and dinner. As I get older, I treasure more and more my time with good friends. Steuart who lives in Oxford is 91 and I hope to visit him again on my next visit. I was moved to see Robert who had a fall the night before but insisted to take the train to London to meet up with me. He was walking with a stick, and I was relieved when he sent me an email saying he arrived home safely. We are all getting old and with my hip problem, I also do not know whether I would be fit for travel in a few years’ time. Before lunch with Robert on 22 August, I visited the British Museum to see the Buddhist art section. Impressive illustrations and collections. After lunch, I took the Eurostar back to Paris at 6pm and stayed in the same hotel near Gare du Nord for one night.

Paris & Provence 22-27 August 2024

With my hip problem, I could not carry heavy things and walk too much. I therefore decided to explore Provence and stay in Ibis Hotel next to the Avignon Centre train station. I also bought an Eurail Global Pass with flexible use for four days. The first journey was on Eurostar back from London to Paris on 22 August. Then I took TGV from Gare de Lyon to Avignon on 23 August. I like the French train service, and the journey took just over two hours. Then I had to take a 6-minute connecting train to Avignon Centre. The hotel is two minutes away. Excellent!

As I could not check in till 3 pm, I decided to use the train pass to go places. The train that came into the station would be heading to Nimes. But I got off at the wrong station- Nimes de Gard which has nothing to see. But I am impressed by the modern design of the train station. I took the next train back to Avignon and checked in the hotel shortly after 3 pm. It was so hot that I did not venture out till 5:30 pm. I walked to the centre and had an early lunch. I bought a combined ticket for 13 euro (reduced price for senior citizens) for the Papal Palace and garden, and the Bridge of Avignon. I walked up the view point in the garden next to Notre-Dames-des-Doms. Fantastic view, peaceful and quiet. I sat and watched sunset. After sunset, I strolled aimlessly in the atmospheric old town with numerous outdoor restaurants.

24 August– I joined a “Full Day Best of Provence” (USD173). The trip started at 8:30 am with a nice young French guide Rimi. We had four passengers and explored the Provencal landscape in the Luberon (with some 35 villages). In the morning we had two main stops at Roussillon famous for its ochre soil and landscape and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse known for its Karst spring – the largest in France. We also had a brief photo stop at Gordes. Unfortunately, the lavender season was over. I must revisit this region in end June or July to see lavender.

In the afternoon, we spent over an hour in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence and Pont du Gard, a World Heritage Site which is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century CE. By the time we got back to Avignon, it was almost 7 pm. I went to enjoy a sumptuous dinner at Bidendum.

25 August– I took the train to Marseille at 7:53 am and spent a great morning exploring on my own. I bought a hop-on tourist bus ticket for 22 euro with 14 stops. Given my hip problem, I only stopped at the Our Lady of the Guard Basilica on top of a hill and the Major Cathedral close to the port. I found Marseille vibrant and charming. The basilica offers the most commanding panoramic views of Marseille. I was unable to go inside due to an ongoing mass. The cathedral is impressive too. I was a bit tired and sat near the old port people watching.

After 2 pm, I walked back to the station and took a train to Aix-en-Provence just before 3 pm. I have heard a lot about this charming village. I soaked in the atmosphere having a late lunch till 4 pm. I strolled aimlessly visiting a couple of old churches, squares and fountains. I bought a bus ticket with Flexibus which was a big mistake. The bus (6 euro) departed at 9pm and took just an hour to Avignon. Alas, it stopped outside the old town in the middle of nowhere! Luckily I had an uber app and spent 20 euro to get back to Avignon. A mini adventure!

26 August– I joined another half day tour “Follow the Footstep of Van Gogh” (USD110). Our nice guide drove us to Arles, one of the oldest cities in France. It was a leading city of the western Roman Empire. I can see portions of the wall around the old town are Roman, a Roman arena (amphitheatre) and theatre, and an obelisk. We had a good walking tour of the main attractions before having over an hour to discover the charming town on our own. The Romanesque church of Saint-Trophime founded in the 7th century and other Roman monuments are inscribed on the World Heritage properties. Van Gogh moved to Arles from Paris in February 1888, had an artistic breakthrough with some 200 works painted during this short period. He worked with Paul Gauguin who joined him in October.

The guide took us to see the location of the yellow house when he lived, where he painted his Starry Night Over the Rhone, and Cafe Terrace at Night, and the hospital where he was taken when he cut his ear on 23 December 1889. During this productive period, Van Gogh painted some 200 works. In May 1889, Van Gogh left Arles to be voluntarily committed to a psychiatric institution in Saint-Remy-de-Provence which we spent an hour before returning to Avignon.

I got back to Avignon around 2:30pm and I planned to visit the use my combined ticket to visit the Papal Palace and the Bridge of Avignon- both World Heritage Properties. The palace and fortress built during the 14th century was the conclaves of six Popes (Benedict X11, Clement VI, Innocent VI, Urban V and Gregory XI and Benedict XIII 1334 – 1395). The complex is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.

All visitors are given a pad for a self-guided interactive tour. Being an IT idiot, I had difficulties in figuring out how to use it at first. The palace is vast and spread over six to eight storeys (I guess). Given my walking problem, I struggled to walk up and down the endless staircases. The medieval structures and interpretations made the tour fairly interesting. After spending over two hours in the Palace, I made my way to the Bridge which last admission would be 6pm. Unfortunately when I arrived before 5:30pm, I found the gate closed with for exceptional reason. Visit by an exceptionally important guest? I could have visited it on 23 August when I got there. Lesson to be learnt: live mindfully and do thing I want and can without delay! I finished my stay in Avignon with a nice meal at Le Vintage.

On 27 August, I had a leisure travel day. I took the 6-minute train to Avignon TGV station and got on the 12:55 pm train to Paris CDG Airport. It was easy to take the light rail free shuttle train from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 and walked to Ibis Hotel by Terminal 3. My friends and travel mates Maria and Karen had already arrived from Hong Kong that morning. We had an early dinner before going to bed. But I got up at 2 am in the morning in order to attend the funeral service of Michelle with zoom. I visited her in Melbourne in late July and she passed away peacefully on 8 August. Life is precarious.

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Australia 16 July -3 August 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Sarah

I took a short trip to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne primarily to visit my brother to celebrate his 72nd birthday and to visit Michelle and Caciano.

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Japan April 2024

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Sarah

Nowadays, I often travel for meeting my family and friends and reunions. This time, a friend would celebrate his 35th birthday on 27 April in Tokyo . As spring is a great time to see flowers in Japan, I took this opportunity to visit a few flower parks before joining my friends in Tokyo, Kamakura and Karuizawa.

Tokyo 23 – 29 April

I took a late morning flight and landed in the Narita Airport, Tokyo around 4:30 pm. The immigration service was very efficient (unlike the bad experience in Osaka last November) and I was on a bus heading to Shinjuku at 5:20 pm. I checked in a WPU Hotel which is very convenient and close to meeting points of the two day trips I had joined.

On April 24, I took a minibus tour (only nine passengers) to Mt Fuji on a rainy cold day. At the first stop – Fuji Motosuko Resort, we were given only an hour to visit a flower park known for Phlox subulata (ground pink). We paid an entrance fee of yen 1,000. While most tourists look for sunny days for selfies, I don’t mind all weathers: it is more atmospheric and moody with drizzle, mist and an overcast sky. The next stop was a spot for a postcard view of Mt Fuji. As it was raining, there was no view at all. We left after five minutes and stopped for lunch. All of us rushed in a mini-supermarket for bento / cup noodles / sandwich. Thereafter we were taken to the Gotemba Premier Outlets for two and a half hours! I headed to Konohana no Yu, a hot spring day spa which open-air baths overlook Mt Fuji. Though there was no view, the spring water proved to be good for my bones and muscles. At 4:30pm, we headed back to Tokyo. Most people on the minibus were disappointed. I took things easy enjoying the journey through mist, rain, spring green leaves and flowers.

On 25 April, I joined a tour to Hitachi Seaside Park in the morning and Ashikaga Flower Park in the afternoon. We set off at 7:30 am and did not return to Shinjuku till 6 pm. The bus was full with over 40 passengers. It took two hours to get to the seaside park: locals as well as tourists all come to see hemophilia. I found the crowd horrifying: I ran into people every single step. As I walked slowly I spent two and a half hours in a small corner of this expansive park enjoying the blue and purple hemophilia, yellow canola flower and watching people and their dog.

We had a bento/lunch box in the bus and arrived at Ashikaga famous for wisteria and rhododendron (azalea) at this time of the year. I spent a whole day in this park on my own in 2019. This time I was only given an hour to see the park. How could one really enjoy and appreciate the flowers when being surrounded by thousands of visitors? As a professional and flexible tourist, I made best use of my time revisiting the old and gigantic wisteria trees. The azalea was in full bloom with gorgeous colours. The park is indeed an extravaganza and the bright and colourful azaleas made me dizzy.

On 26 April, I moved to a hotel in Tsukiji where the famous fish market was once located. As I could not check in till 3 pm, I strolled in the area and had a fish bowl for lunch. I discovered that the Tsukiji Honganji was celebrating from 26 to 29 April the 850th anniversary of Honen (1173-1263) and the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Jodo Sect (Pure Land) of Buddhism in Japan. On the way back to the hotel, I stayed in temple and attended a ceremony. The hall was full and as the scripture was written in Chinese, I could follow the chanting. When I got back to the hotel after 3 pm, Alice also arrived from Hong Kong. We walked around Ginza with a view to finding a nintendo switch (a birthday present for Alan) to no avail. We googled and decided to take the metro to Shibuya which is a vibrant area full of young people. It was an eye-opening experience for me to see this famous game shop in a hip area. Alice and I had a beer after we accomplished our mission before joining Robert, Alan, Reiko, and Tracy for an excellent 8-course dinner at Habukatei in Shinjuku-ku.

Today was the big day for Alan. Robert, Alice and I spent a relaxing and most enjoyable afternoon to experience the neighbourhood in Omotesado Hills. I like the leafy, trendy, and relaxing atmosphere. We began with lunch at Afternoon Tea, an institution in the area famous for cakes. Then we visited a boutique shop to buy watches. We ended up in another shop buying pottery and drinking sake! In the evening, we had a sumptuous 8-course dinner in a French restaurant to celebrate Alan’s birthday. What a great day!

On 28 April, I spent a day with friends in Kamakura. We visited a friend’s holiday home in Enoshima with a lovely sea view on one side and Mt Fuji on a clear day from the other side. After spending a leisure morning strolling around and having a Thai lunch, we headed to Genjiyama Park to meet architect and ‘minka‘ expert Yoshihiro Takishita. His passion for wood and preservation of minka are admirable. We spent two hours talking about architecture, minka and art. Inspiring! We returned to Tokyo and had beef for dinner. But I had too much meat which upset my stomach.

Karuizawa 29 April – 1 May

I got up early from a sleepless night and attended a morning ceremony at Tsukiji Honganji from 7 to 8 am. Only a small number of Buddhists came and I once again could follow the chanting. The setting, clothes, decorations, music and rituals are different. I returned to the hotel doing nothing till I checked out at 11 am. I went straight to the Tokyo train station to wait for the 2 pm train to Karuizawa as I was in no mood to walk around. Tracy and I arrived in Karuizawa before 3:30pm. This was my second visit and I walked to the Kumobo Pond which still looked lovely. At 7:30pm, Robert, Alan, Tracy and I had another sumptuous dinner with wine, grilled beef and chicken at a nice western restaurant called Pyrenees.

We started the day on 30 April with drizzle. Despite the weather, we had a great busy day. We started off with a brunch finishing 1.5kg of soba in a typical noodle restaurant in Ginza shopping street in old Karuizawa. Then we visited the Shiraito Waterfall measuring 3m in height and 70m in width, in a lush forest. The next must-see is the Kumanokotai Shrine located at 1200m at the border of Nagano and Gunma Prefectures. I saw three elegant dogs that I have never seen before . The last stop was the Stone Church built with stone and glass in 1988 by American architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg in honour of Uchimura Kanzo, the Japanese Christian evangelist who founded the Nonchurch Movement in 1901. It is now a popular wedding venue. We were delighted to enjoy a nice cup of coffee in Bakery and Restaurant Sawamura that was opened in 2015. In the evening, Robert invited Tracy and I to his new vacation home which is a dream house! We had delicious shabu shabu paired with nice white and red wine. A great day!

The weather on my last day in Karuizawa was bad, cold and miserable. I took the 8:04 am bus to Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture which is one of Japan’s three most famous onsens (the other two are Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture and Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture). Kusatsu Onsen boasts the largest flowing water volume of all hots springs. The water is one of Japan’s most acidic. It is a small town with lots of hotels and eateries.

The first place I visited was the Kosenji Temple located up in the hill above Yubatake. The temple celebrates the glory of Kusatsu Onsen and has many monuments including a famous Edo poet Issa Kobayashi (1763-1827). Once again, I paid respect to Kobo Daishi here. I walked around the amazing Yubatake. Then I wandered around the narrow lanes, sampling the local pudding before finding my way to enjoy a soak in Ohtaki-no-yu. It charges a high entrance fee of yen 1100. But I am not impressed and only stayed for an hour. The onsen experience in Mt Fuji is much better. When I left, it poured with rain. As I had no umbrella, I took shelter in the cafe having a drink and noodles for half an hour. I planned to take the 2:50 pm express bus back to Karuizawa and decided to walk in the rain to the bus terminal. The rain was so heavy when I got back to Karuizawa. Having got myself an umbrella, I went shopping buying a T-shirt, a pair of pants and a windbreaker in a small local shop run by an elderly lady. She looked so happy to see me and I spent almost an hour there! A highlight of my day!

May 2 Tokyo- Hong Kong

My plane would depart at 5 pm. I decided to take the 8:17am train to Ueno so that I could visit the garden or a museum in the morning. It worked out well and I spent two hours looking at the special exhibition “Honen and the Pure Land” in the Tokyo National Museum, to mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Jodo sect. The exhibition is indeed impressive tracing the history of the Jodo sect through an extensive collection of national treasures and cultural properties owned by Jodo sect temples across Japan. The oldest exhibits dated back to the 13th century. They include invaluable notebooks, illustrated biographies, paintings, sculptures, calligraphy and Buddhist scriptures etc. Japanese are perfectionists: the meticulous way they have preserved these Buddhist treasures is most admirable. As a Buddhist, I could have spent a whole day with an audio guide to better understand the Jodo sect and to fully appreciate the excellent exhibits. But I had to leave around midday to take the Keisei Skyliner to the airport. Everything went smoothly and I landed in Hong Kong as scheduled at 9 pm.

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Swakopmund & Cape Town 23-24 March 2024 & Epilogue

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Sarah

March 23 Swakopmund – Cape Town

As our flight to Cape Town would depart at 5 pm, we had a morning tour of Swakopmund a pretty city on the coast of western Namibia, about 35km from Walvis Bay. Founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South West Africa, Swakopmund with a population of about 50,000 has been a popular beach resort characterised by 19th century German colonial architecture. The city is inhabited by some indigenous people of Namibia including the San, the Ovatjimba, Ovatue, Ovahimba and other groups. We were taken to visit Mondesa, a suburb with performance by a local community. A group of children and teenagers sang and dance while a few indigenous ladies performed their traditional dance. I tried some local food including fried insects.

After lunch at the Tuc Restaurant by the seaside, we departed to the airport at 2 pm, departed for Cape Town at 5 pm and landed shortly after 7 pm. We were transferred to a nice modern hotel in the downtown area. Teresa and I skipped dinner and had a good rest on land after spending 21 nights at sea.

March 24 Cape Town – Hong Kong

My flight would depart for Doha at 7 pm. Having been to Cape Town several times, I was not keen to rush around. The only place I liked to visit this time was the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, a World Heritage Site. Acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world, it is located at the eastern slopes of the Table Mountain and home to over 22,000 different plant species and over 200 different species of birds have been spotted. After checking out at 10:30am, I went to the garden with Elita and Jimmy who are also from Hong Kong. We spent over three hours strolling in the garden taking photos of flowers and plants. Highlight of the day was when Jimmy spotted a beautiful sunbird. The photo he took can be found in the collage below.

We returned to the hotel before 3pm and had a quick bite at Macdonald nearby. Then I departed for the airport and checked in before 4:30pm. Also the security and immigration service at the airport is incredibly slow. By the time I got inside at the departure hall, it was almost 6pm! I was exhausted and almost could not stand. Something must be wrong with the system! I flew to Doha, spent two hours at the airport and then took seven hours to fly back to Hong Kong. I landed at 9:30pm and was out of the airport shortly after 10 pm and was home before 10:40pm. Efficiency of the Hong Kong airport, immigration service and transportation are unrivalled. I am glad to be back in my small but sweet home.

Epilogue

This 21-day expedition far exceeds my expectations. Though I have been to Port Stanley and South Georgia and sailed to the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago, I have not really seen much in the first two places and have not stepped ashore the archipelago. Hence, I looked forward to this voyage and feel blessed as I have been able to spend memorable time in all these places this time. There are several aspects that I would like to highlight about this most memorable expedition. First, the weather was perfect and the sea was calm. As a result, we were able to visit the places as scheduled. I had no uncomfortable feeling during the entire voyage. Second, the expedition team led by Claudia with team members mostly from the Apex Expedition did a fantastic job. The 34 lectures and the six ship/zodiac cruises are excellent and most enjoyable. i enjoy meeting Peter, Shirley, Johnathan, Ingrid (a good story teller), Dave, Matt (to name just a few). When Peter told me a coming expedition this October from Costa Rica to Chile on Silver Wind, I decided to join. Third, I saw lots of icebergs when sailing around South Georgia: this is not what I had expected. Fourth, the wildlife is amazing. Though I missed the grandeur of Salisbury Plain where I landed in 1999, I was thrilled to find King Penguins on iceberg and watched them swimming and jumping out of water when zodiac cruising off the Salisbury Plain this time. I also saw Gentoo, Macaroni, Southern and Northern Rockhopper, Magellanic and African Penguins. Albatross is impressive: I was excited to see Wandering, Southern Royal, Tristan, Sooty, Atlantic Yellow-nosed, Black-browed and Gray-headed Albatrosses. In addition, we found Blue, Fin, Sperm and Mike Whales, Orca, Pilot Whale, dolphins, and millions of shearwaters and fur seals in the Tristan Archipelago and seals and flamingos in Walvis Bay in addition to countless petrels, skuas, terns, gulls and shags we saw during the voyage. As I find the camera too heavy to carry, I have mainly used my phone. Hence I had no good photos of birds and wildlife. I use below some images provided by Silver Cloud.

The expedition on Silver Cloud is only part of my 78-day journey (8/1-24/3/24). When I first planned this journey, I intended to visit Africa and perhaps Europe after the boat trip. But in view of the hip problem, I decided to return to Hong Kong from Cape Town. As a whole I have had a wonderful time: knowing my limitations, I would only do what I can and should. I am glad I survived despite three minor falls without mishaps. I remained in reasonably good health without catching flu or Covid and had no seasickness.

In brief, I had my amazing close encounter with half a dozen Sperm Whales in Dominica that is enchanting. Due to walking problem at times, I had not done as much as I used to do: just a few hours of activities at snail pace with plenty of rest in the evening. Travelling through the Northeast Brazil opens my eyes to how enormous and powerful Amazon is and Brazil’s rich resources. Brazil has relatively good infrastructures in terms of air and national highway. I am however not impressed by Manaus, my jungle experience and the 5-day boat trip downstream to Belem. But Sao Luis, Recife, Olinda, Salvador and Boipeba are worth visiting. I hope to return to Salvador one day to watch the carnival when I can go on to visit French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

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Remote Atlantic Islands & Namibia 10-23 March 2024

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Sarah

March 10-12 Sailing to Tristan da Cunha Archipelago (1388NM)

The weather is the king of the sea: we sailed on in search of the calm sea and sped ahead to reach the Tristan Archipelago where fine weather would expected as per weather forecast. Nature is incredible: no one knows what is installed ahead. On March 10, we continued to encounter countless icebergs and the Captain and his crew had to sail most carefully. When the Captain realised Iceberg D28a which was split off from the Amery Ice Shelf was ahead, he steered the boat to D28a so that we could have a chance to sail along it. We got fairly close to it and watched it for over half an hour. We saw blue and jade icebergs and numerous gigantic tabular icebergs. What a treat!

The weather began to warm up as we sailed towards the Tristan Archipelago. Days at sea passed quickly as I attended all the lectures that are interesting. At 4 pm every afternoon, I would have afternoon tea savoring a scone with cream and strawberry jam followed by recap at 6:15 pm and dinner at 7 pm. When we approached the islands, we began to spot the three beautiful species of albatrosses of the area, namely yellow-nosed, sooty and Tristan albatrosses. There are plenty of shearwaters, terns and petrels

March 13 Gough Island by Zodiac

I was excited to see sunrise at Gough Island, one of the least disrupted ecosystems left on this planet. The vertical ramparts of the sea cliffs of the island provide important habitat for almost the entire global populations of the Tristan Albatross and the Atlantic Petrel. Prominent features of the island are still in my memory from my last visit in 2016. But this time, I have been able to see much more: sheer cliffs and features of the coastline, the basalt rock formation, sea caves, vegetation, numerous seals on the beach, petrels, Sooty and Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, and Northern Rockhopper Penguins. Some also spotted the endemic Gough Bunting.

March 14 Inaccessible Island by Zodiac

We arrived at the Inaccessible at sunrise. The weather looked great and we were all got ready for a zodiac cruise. Unfortunately, the swell was over 1.5m and it was difficult to operate the zodiac safely. Instead, we had a boat cruise of about 75 minutes. I must say a boat cruise is totally different from a zodiac cruise. We had so much time that we cruised twice: clock-wise and counter-clockwise. We had a pleasant day ending with cocktail on the pool deck at 6 pm for a recap and to watch sunset with thousands of shearwaters heading back to the island.

March 15 Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha first discovered at the beginning of the 16th century by Portuguese explorer Tristo da Cuhna and dominated by the 2000-m tall Queen Mary’s Peak, is the world’s remotest inhabited island with a population of 260. The 1961 volcanic eruption brought temporary disruption to the islanders who had to take refuge in the UK for over a couple of year. We were fortunate with the weather which was sunny and warm. We also managed to get ashore safely despite the swell, with the help of six experienced crew at the gangway.

I spent the whole day on the island. While a small group hiked to the top of newly formed volcano next to the settlement, I took a leisure walk with a local guide. We stopped at a few landmarks including the post office, the Anglican and Catholic churches, the hospital (but we did not have a tour), and the Hatched House Museum. At noon, I tasted a the famous Tristan Rock lobster sandwich in the Post Office/Tourist Office/Cafe building.

After lunch, I paid USD10 (pp) for a ride to the famous potato patches with Skip. The driver, who has been working in the UK and Australia, prefers to spend his retirement life on his own on the island. He showed me his potato patch which is a bit off the main road. While Skip took the ride back to the centre, I decided to take the 3-km long walk. I first walked back to the driver’s patch where his cousin was tilling in the field with his family. I watched the team of three work and was amazed to see the number of potatoes they got from a small plot. Their patch would give them enough harvest for home consumption for a year. Life on the island is simple: each family has two cows, two sheep, two cars and a potato patch where they have their holiday home. They can go out to fish and catch crawfish and spend the weekend away from the village if they want. They are happy to live on the island. I walked as slowly as a snail soaking in the atmosphere and was ready to return to the boat after 4pm. I got sight of a fishing boat in the port and was lucky to have a look of a live Tristan Rock Lobster.

March 16 Nightingale Island by Zodiac

The original plan was to have a zodiac cruise / kayak in the morning followed by a landing in the afternoon. The swell was much for kayaking. So everyone took a zodiac cruise to the Middle Island and Stoltenhof Island. We saw plenty of Northern Rockhopper Penguins swimming in clear water around the zodiac and on the rocks. The giant kelp that can grow to 40m is most impressive. The rocky shore was full of baby seals with the adults enjoying themselves in the water. The landscape especially the Stoltenhof Island is stunning. On the way back to the boat, we witnessed how a petrel took and feasted on a wounded penguin. That is a nature and survival for the fittest.

The original plan was to land on Nightingale Island in the afternoon to look for the penguins and yellow-nosed albatross. But as the landing area is now covered with seals, the expedition team considered it not safe to land. Instead we had another cruise to explore the other side of Nightingale Island. Dave was the zodiac driver and we had an excellent time exploring several sea caves with lichen and moss in bright colours.

March 17 Inaccessible Island

As we had left South Georgia one day early, the expedition team arranged a morning zodiac cruise on the northern side of Accessible Island as the swell was manageable. When I first woke out and found the island top covered in mist, I was not hopeful. Anyway, by the time we stepped into the zodiac at 9:30am, the sun had come out and the sea remained calm. We had a nice cruise exploring the further side of the northern shore of Inaccessible Island. The bay was sheltered, nice and calm. We saw plenty of seals, waterfalls, and some Northern Rockhopper Penguins from a distance. However while two zodiacs continued to go east to almost the end of the northern shore, our zodiac turned back in order to look for penguins. As a result, we missed a fantastic wildlife extravagance of albatrosses, two big male seals fighting over a female seal, terns and skuas (A passenger told me about this later that day).

The scenic zodiac cruise of Inaccessible Island drew this expedition to a happy ending. Though we would still have a day with activity in Namibia on March 22, we all felt that this expedition had ended on a high note with a grand slam in the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago. Peter Harrison, an authority on seabirds who has been travelling for over 40 years, said it was only the third time he managed to visit all three islands on a single expedition with good weather. We were indeed blessed! While having steamed Tristan Rock Lobster for lunch by the pool, we watched beautiful clouds veiling over Tristan da Cunha. It is likely to be the first as well as the last time I visit this remotest inhabited island! Goodbye, Tristan da Cunha Archipelago

March 18 – 21 Sailing to Walvis Bay (1632NM)

We had four full days at sea. The weather conditions were excellent and the sea was generally calm. Unfortunately there was not much to see (no land and few birds). The expedition team kept us busy by putting on three or four lectures a day and a bridge tour. In addition, there were other activities including team trivia, spa seminar, golf putting, quiz etc. When I reviewed the daily chronicles, I realised I had attended altogether 34 educational lectures plus a few workshops on ancient navigation. Among all the talks, I find Peter Harrison’s last talk on “Seven Years Seven Continents” which is actually about his life, passion, career and achievements, most moving and Shirley Metz’s account of her ski as the first woman to the South Pole in 1989 inspiring. I am truly lucky to meet this remarkable couple on this expedition.

March 22 Walvis Bay, Namibia

Today, we landed in Walvis Bay, Namibia. I got up early to watch a beautiful sunrise over breakfast. After docking at a pier, we disembarked and had to go the Namibia Immigration Office. I disembarked about 10 am and did not get a stamp on my passport till 11 am. Very inefficient! I joined a group to take a harbour cruise followed by kayaking. I had a wonderful morning on the boat watching the performance of a seal that leaped onto the boat to get fed. We were excited to find two the strange looking sunfish swimming close to the boat. There were numerous seals popping out of the water.

After an hour’s cruise, we went ashore and were treated with champagne and a light lunch. I had not kayaked for years and dared not partner with Teresa who had never kayaked before. So she went off with another guest who is experienced while I took a solo kayak. There was no current and I managed to kayak with ease after a while. There were countless seals swimming around and on the beach. Unfortunately we could only kayak for about 40 minutes. We then had a ride along a long seashore lined with Greater and Lesser Flamingos, terns and many other birds. Finally we mounted a dune offering panoramic views of salt pans and a salt plant. We were back on the boat around 2:30pm.

Teresa and I felt tired and spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for disembarkation the following day. I got all dirty clothes washed. We had briefing by Claudia and the expedition team at 4:45pm and a farewell reception at 6:30pm. We watched a memorable video of the expedition.

Categories: Expeditions, My Africa trips | Comments Off

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Northwest Passage: Greenland 28 August – 2 September 2024

Pre-Northwest Passage: UK & France 18-27 August 2024

Australia 16 July -3 August 2024

Japan April 2024

Swakopmund & Cape Town 23-24 March 2024 & Epilogue

Remote Atlantic Islands & Namibia 10-23 March 2024

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