Hong Kong to Beijing Travel Notes
MAR. 28, 2024 – HONG KONG, CHINA (Day 109)
We decided not to get off the ship today as we have seen everything in Hong Kong we wanted to see. All four of us spent a couple of days in Hong Kong back in 2014, plus we needed to recuperate from the previous day. We worked on photos and excursion planning and then Gwen went swimming.
In the evening at Sail Away, our ship had been given a great honor. The harbor had invited our Captain to take the ship through the entire harbor past all the city lights with an escort! Captain Kjell said in 50 years of coming into this harbor, he has never heard of any ship being allowed to do this! It seems we are getting special treatments and welcomes in a lot of our ports. People are excited that our Ultimate World Cruise has chosen their port as one of our stops. It was so nice to stand at the rail with Mark and Jane (our next door neighbors) on Deck 12 and watch the city go by!
*One interesting event happened tonight- After leaving the city, our ship had to take evasive maneuvers because a ship coming from the opposite direction was not following the rules. The bars had bottles crashing to the floor and the Windjammer Cafe had to be closed temporarily to clean up all the food that ended up on the floor.
We ended our night with our usual games of Euchre
MAR. 29, 2024 – DAY AT SEA (Day 110)
We have been successful in getting RCCL to give our Community Group a separate meeting place. We had our first meeting in the 4th Floor game room today with a special Good Friday service. It was a prayer and reflective service where I read something to the group about an aspect of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and then we had time to reflect and pray about it. We ended with our first communion together as a group. We are combining with the other bible study group and this was our first time to meet all together.
We did some research for our Europe Trip Interruption that is coming. We also attended a multi-denominational service that is held by the priest they brought on board. Like Christmas, they try, but it seems to end up somewhere between a Catholic and Anglican type service. We rounded out our night spending the $6 of free play on slots for the casino. Because of our loyalty status we get the free play money at the start of every new leg of our journey. Usually it is gone quickly, but tonight Gwen ended up winning $50 and that was fun to watch.
MAR. 30, 2024 – TAIPEI, TAIWAN (Day 111)
RCCL provided a free “Escape” to all world cruisers and took us by bus to the tallest building in town, named Taipei 101 (for the 101 floors). We were taken by high speed elevator to the top floors where there was an observation deck. They had planned presentations with characters that are well know warriors in Taiwanese culture.
This building is unique in that is has a huge ball that hangs in the center of the top floors to offset swaying in high winds or earthquakes. It was very interesting to see videos on the engineering and history. of the construction.
After looking around for a while they had finger foods and drinks on the 100th floor with musicians that I loved watching play their unique instruments. It was a good time of visiting with some of the other world cruisers.
We left the tour and struck out on our own. We bought an all day pass for the subway and headed to Daan Park. We just wanted to walk around the city and get a feel for their way of life. We find so many interesting things that way. In the park we found the old type of “monkey bars” that we had as kids. I’m pretty sure that there are not many like that anymore in the US. We walked through a flower market that was so fragrant. Doug said it smelled like death since it smelled like most funeral homes with all the flowers. We started looking for food and found a spot for locals that had very good Dim Sum. We toured Old Town and took an unplanned detour on the subway before making our way back to the ship to watch one of the better cultural shows we have seen.
When leaving port, we had so many people at the dock, the restaurants nearby, and even from apartment windows across the street, waving their phone lights back and forth to wave goodbye to us. It was overwhelming, and I shouted out Thank You Taipei! and someone yelled back Goodbye!, then all over the ship and on land everyone started shouting goodbye. It definitely makes us glad that they like having us there as much as we like being there.
MAR. 31, 2024 – ISHIGAKI, JAPAN (Day 112)
Today we headed out to go spelunking in a local cave. The Isigaki Stalactite Cave is unique in that the stalactites grow almost 10 times faster than in most caves. It was interesting and the cave was pretty large.
We then headed to an overlook to take pictures. I swear we have 100 pictures of the cruise ship from vantage points all over the world and it will continue!
We were hungry and wanted to sample some local food, so we searched around the shuttle pickup area till we found a restaurant that seemed to have quite a few locals eating there even though it was a small space. The food was good and we were enjoying it. We saw Maria, a violinist with the string trio that plays on the ship in the Centrum. She had come off the ship just to try the food. We never know of a way to tip her for her music so we decided to pay for her meal. We visited a little and found out that all 3 musicians in their trio are from Ukraine and they only met once on the ship. We got back on ship after shopping and listened to the String Trio. Gwen went to an Easter service and came back really missing being home for Easter. I agreed with her as this was the second year in a row that we were away from home as we spent last Easter in Jerusalem.
APR. 1, 2024 – OKINAWA, JAPAN (Day 113)
We started out first thing in the morning to see the Japanese Naval Underground. It was very sobering to us as we looked at the memorials and went in the museum. After watching the video that told of the events that led up to the battle between the U.S. forces and the Japanese on Okinawa, we realized we were visiting on the anniversary of the attack on Okinawa. In the video, the question was asked why did this have to happen and they talked about living in peace. It was definitely slanted toward the Japanese as there was no mention of Pearl Harbor, which I answered in my head. But it was definitely a tragedy and ultimately the Commander of their forces committed suicide in the bunkers as they were trapped in by American forces.
One of the few busts on our excursion choices occurred here. We thought we would go to Shurijo Castle, but when we got there you were basically touring a reconstruction site as the Castle burned down in 2019. We did go to the restaurant there and really enjoyed local food dishes.
We had done some research and found out that Hacksaw Ridge was near an ancient castle site. We got there and happened to run into a guide who was scouting out the place for a tour in a couple of days. He told us exactly where to go to get to the bottom of the ridge. We got there and it is definitely not as imposing as the movie makes it out to be. That being said, we were in awe of the bravery and the what the soldiers had to have gone through to get up over that ridge. I ended up climbing up about 10 feet and pulling out a rock to put on my desk back home. Definitely a lot of sober moments for us in this day.
Once back on the ship we decided to swim and relax some as we had just completed our 3rd day in a row in a port. How will we survive this when we get to Europe and almost every day is a port day? We ate in the Windjammer with Dean and Lori from The Villages and Doug and Margaret. After dinner went to the Rogers’ room and watched the Hacksaw Ridge movie.
APR. 2, 2024 – DAY AT SEA (Day 114)
Just trying to catch up on everything, today, photos and booking hotels, etc. We have to jump through some extra hoops for Korea, so they had us pick up our passports. Normally, RCCL keeps them as sometimes customs officers come aboard the ship before we get to a port and examine the passports to clear the ship to dock. Korea wants a face to face with everyone as we get off the ship.
Dinner was formal wear this evening, which means we should get lobster! We did and it was very tender and delicious. We went to see a violinist for the show tonight. Ian Cooper is from Australia and he had so much energy on stage. It was one of the best guest performers we have had. He allowed the band to show off their talent as well and it was a big hit with the crowd.
APR. 3, 2024 – BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA (Day 115)
Gwen and I were on our own, today, as it was raining and the Rogers decided to pass and stay on ship. Gwen did some quick research on indoor activities and we decided to head to a museum that was a little different from normal museums. Museum 1 was having a presentation called “Signs of Loss” depicting the changing world of technology and its impact on social interaction. It was one of the most interesting and thought provoking museums we have ever been to visit. One area of particular interest was a room with a large floor to ceiling video screen with the floor and partially up the walls also being a video screen. There were multiple 3 to 4 minute videos that evoked emotions as it you were surrounded by the videos.
We left the museum and caught a taxi to find cherry blossoms. We headed to Oncheoncheon Cafe Street that ran parallel to a stream and had an elevated walkway under cherry blossom trees. Even in the poor weather, it was a beautiful site. There were cherry blossom trees all over the city, but not to the extent as they were here. Gwen got to take a lot of pictures.
Around 2 pm, we realized that we needed to eat, as we rarely eat breakfast anymore. We went to one of the many cafes that line the street and found a hot pot restaurant, Shabu S#arp. We got the lucheon special and it was really good to have a warm meal on cold day in a foreign land. Gwen and I really enjoyed a slower paced day to just enjoy being together. A very satisfying day!
APR. 4, 2024 – JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA (Day 116)
Our ship was in port at the north central part of the island. We got a taxi once out of the port terminal and told them 4 places we wanted to visit on the island. We communicated through Google Translate as he did not speak any English. Once he got the best route figured out we were off to our first stop, Samseonghyeol, a revered site featuring 3 mythical holes believed to be the origin of Jeju Island’s mythical founders: Go, Yang, and Bu. The girls were taking pictures of cherry blossoms and I saw they had an activity area. A local worker at the site saw me trying to figure out how to use a handle to roll a hoop. He came over and demonstrated so I was able to do it much easier. To each his own, I guess.
We then went to a street named Jeonnong-ru, with… you guessed it… more cherry blossoms. The girls got out and took pictures while we stayed in the car. Now off to see another religious site, Cheonwangsa Temple. The fog was fairly heavy when we arrived which made for some interesting pictures. There were a few people inside worshiping Buddha with some priest chanting the same phrase over and over and beating some kind of wooden percussion instrument. It was a unique experience being at a temple during the chanting and being surrounded in fog. By the time we finished looking around, the fog was lifting.
Our last stop was almost as far south as we could go on the island. Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls, not to be confused with Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, though it did cause a short confusion with our driver, provided us with a lot of exercise. There were 3 stages of waterfalls as we walked down the well made path. But, at each stage, we had to descend to the river to get the views. The problem with descending is that it requires ascending to get out (273 steps just for last stage alone). We literally got our steps in today! Even with a lot going on at the ship, we spent the evening after dinner, just sitting in our room talking with Doug and Margaret about the day and events to come.
APR. 5, 2024 – SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (Day 117)
Our actual port was in Incheon, which is about 1hr 45min from Seoul. Inside the port terminal a woman was allowing passengers to put on traditional Korean clothing and take pictures. There was no charge and you used your own cameras, but it was pretty popular among the passengers. Gwen got dressed up in a costume and I got her picture. In the prime location in front of the terminal doors, a line of black vans all from the same company were lined up to take people into Seoul. I listened to the pricing and knew that it was too much, based on Uber pricing. We contracted an Uber, who was already waiting a little farther out on the road. We endured the long ride in traffic toward the center of the city.
N Seoul Tower is marketed as a “romantic island in the sky”. We took the cable car up the steep hillside to a plateau with shops and a bar. There was a shop that sold locks so couples can lock in their relationship to the fence that lined the area. Thousands of locks were all over the place. Doug and Margaret bought one and locked it in. It got me wondering how many people came back with saw after a breakup, or how many people had multiple locks with multiple people? We did enjoy reading some of the messages that were written on the locks.
We had to purchase another ticket to go up into the actual tower. There was entertainment on the walls and ceiling of the elevator on the way up. Once up, it was interesting to see distances to various places on earth written on the windows. Gwen found out that you could buy postcards and stamps at a gift shop and mail them from the tower. We walked down a level to another observation floor, but with local landmarks printed on the windows.
A Korean BBQ restaurant was down one more floor, so we decided to have lunch in the tower. I was fancier that I originally thought! Gwen ordered a beef and pork dish called a stew, while I ordered a beef dish with spicy noodles. It was fun to look out on the city while dining. Our meal was finished off with a pre-set dessert they give all diners. It comes in a square box with a bowl of cardamom sprinkled vanilla ice cream. Inside the box is a fruit flavored gel and another candied typed of fruit. The presentation was over the top as even the accompanying rice wafer wedged into the ice cream had a toasted image of N Seoul Tower! A very good meal.
We decided to avoid the car traffic in the city, so we walked about 15 minutes to reach a Metro station. We figured out the route we wanted to go to get out of the city to the closest area to the port where we could easily find a taxi. We ended in Gyeyang Station and got a taxi to the port in Incheon. The traffic was still ridiculous and Google rerouted our driver a couple of times. It ended up taking us almost 3 hours to get back to the ship from the city. There were many people late to get on ship, but fortunately for some there were RCCL excursions caught in traffic also. We were late leaving port, and even with that, we heard that a few guests were left behind that didn’t make it back to port. That is always something we are very aware of doing our own excursions. With all our precautions we still only made it 45 minutes ahead of the original deadline.
APR. 6, 2024 – DAY AT SEA (Day 118)
We started our day out at our Community Group meeting in our new spot on the 4th floor. Nate Lake, Jr. led the group today and it was a very good discussion on Unity vs Uniformity in the church. We all come from different backgrounds, countries, and ethnicities, yet there is a definite unity among our group as we continue meeting together. We then had lunch, choir, and a Town Hall meeting. We relaxed in the room in the afternoon.
We had a rare occurrence at dinner this evening. After being seated for dinner, I noticed a man talking with a server. It looked like the longer it went on the man was getting more riled up. A head waiter came over and the guy, I’m presuming was from the NY or NJ by his demeanor and t-shirt, started pointing in his face and berating him. Through the conversation, we picked up that it was all about him and his wife not getting a specific table by the back window that they wanted. It got ugly when the man went over to the table and started making remarks to the people that were seated there. He even got into it with a neighboring table when they were upset with his actions. Security had to be called to finally get things settled down. The people at the table left and the man and his wife were allowed to sit down and eat. Security came to our table and got our room numbers as we witnessed the whole thing. I doubt the man will be allowed to cruise on RCCL again. I don’t think they were world cruisers as I had never seen them before. People just can’t chill, even when on a cruise.
We went to the casino and spent the rest of our cruise credit, coming away with $40. Gwen and Margaret left for the show and I watched other people gamble. One man at the table I was watching hit a Royal Flush in the Texas Hold’em game and it payed out $5000. Everyone got very excited about his win.
APR. 7, 2024 – BEIJING, CHINA (Day 119)
We were provided an included excursion to the Great Wall by RCCL as part of our World Cruise package. The down side is that it is 3&1/2 hours from the ship. We boarded a bus and rode to our lunch site The Commune at the Great Wall, operated by Hyatt. Our tour guide, Zho (Jo), gave us a lot of interesting information on the bus. The Great Wall was only named that since the late ’70s when Richard Nixon visited the same site we went to and said, “Only a great nation could build such a Great Wall”.
Our lunch table was a large round table with a “lazy susan” in the middle. We had Doug and Margaret, along with Community Group friends, Heinrich and Penske, Gustave and Ami, and Courtney Britz and a new friend Susan, at our table. It seemed liked the plates of traditional Chinese food they brought would never end. They were all good and we were all stuffed by the end of the meal!
It was nice to get back to the Great Wall. Badaling was a different location than we went in 2014. This location has a funicular that takes you up to the Wall. Once on top, I walked as far as it would let me walk in one direction, then turned and walked as far as I could with time limitations in the other direction. We shared an ice cream bar at the souvenir shop.
Our last stop was at a Jade shop. I personally hate to go to shops that are geared only for tourists. The pressure to buy something is definitely in the air as they structure a short presentation about their product and why this is the best time or place for you to get it. I just went around and looked at all the pieces that were on display. There is no doubt that they were beautiful, but the prices were definitely to much. The most expensive piece I saw was $100,000 usd. Even some of the pieces that would have been nice to have in your home were $4,000-$10,000.
Our bus driver was the best of the bunch as 2 other drivers got lost on the way back. We made it back late, but earlier than they did and we even got to see a few sites in Beijing on the way back. Jo was a great guide and was easy to understand. She gave us a better insight into the daily lives of the people of China. We are tired, but it was worth the effort.
APR. 8, 2024 – BEIJING, CHINA (Day 120)
Our 6th of 17 legs completed. See Leg 7 Notes for comments! Turnaround Day!
Got a Question?
Feel free to ask us any travel questions or anything you would like to know about specific pictures.
