Blossoms, bullet train and beyond: exploring Japan by Land and Sea.

[RooFlyer]

@RooFlyer - if you are at all interested in this cruise and might do it on Celebrity then as you’ve travelled with Silverseas then you must book Suite level.

I'm all cruise booked up through next year! And need no single supplement so its mostly Ponant but I guess I'll have to look at it now

Why?

I would guess - to go to more places than covered by the cruise or do the places in detail! You are going to Japan, or Chile or France - why not see some more of the country while you are there?

 

[Quickstatus]

to go to more places than covered by the cruise or do the places in detail!

I suppose there is the mitigate flight delays so you don't miss the cruise.

But why not just do a land based Japan To see more?. I suspect I'm missing the point of cruising

 

[RooFlyer]

I suspect I'm missing the point of cruising

Yes, you are. As I said, try it sometime, then you'll get it. Sorry @Pushka - your show, but I just thought you might be having pre-dinner drinks

 

[Pushka]

Fabulous photo of you both - looking very young! Sigh

The sunnies. I look so much better with them on. If I take them off I look old. MrP on the other hand....he was in the gym today and another Aussie from Qld came up to him and started talking about exercise. He said to MrP, I'm 64, and working out at 64 is just hard work. MrP smiled and said, I'm almost 70! The other guy reeled. . Made MrPs day that did.

 

[Pushka]

What happens when a ship excursion has to be shortened due to delays?

I once did a guided tour in Paris (not via a cruise). The Notre-Dame Cathedral part was 10 min due to traffic and some very slow people in the group


Why?

Then they shorten it. They are on radio contact and if for instance the wind is bout to gale then the ship will move out. On a ship excursion the cruise line will make recovery. If DIY ing then it's problematic.

. I suspect I'm missing the point of cruising

Yup.

 

[Pushka]

Yes, you are. As I said, try it sometime, then you'll get it. Sorry @Pushka - your show, but I just thought you might be having pre-dinner drinks

We are running late...we've just caught 6 trains and two buses to go up a mountain in Kobe and, it was really dull. Oh well. Now chilling out until drinks, then collect my charm, then dinner, more drinks then go watch the Kobe Drummers do their show at 9pm. We followed them onto the boat, their drums are huge. Cruises are so busy.

 

[tgh]

I have forgotten which port..perhaps Kobe.. but the drummers were fantastic..

..edit.. It was Yeosu and they were playing wind horns...( not even the same country doooohhh) and all I have is video clips to prove it…
Perhaps the drummers were on an earlier Japan cruise..

 

[Pushka]

I have forgotten which port..perhaps Kobe.. but the drummers were fantastic..

Yes, you nailed it. We have heard the same. So much energy. Yet the girls were struggling to get all their massive drums through all the bumps to board the ship. Celebrity may have helped them I think and I told one of the porters to go help them out. They were so sweet they kept apoligising to us for blocking our way and we said we just wanted to see them tonight so take the time. Then as we did pass them they yelled out tonight tonight!

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Gosh so much to catch up on! That shrine at Fuji you went to sounded familiar so I looked back through my photos and realised I had been there in April 2016! View was nowhere near as good but the blossoms were beautiful and it was eerily peaceful visiting in the late afternoon.


And the eggs being orange I believe is due to them having diets with increased orange/yellow foods like carrots, yellow flower petals, paprika etc... to enhance the yolk colour.

I can't believe how lucky you have been with Fuji-san! What an absolute treat and those small lakes and streams around Fuji have certainly given me some inspiration to spend a bit more time there.

 

[Pushka]

I'm all cruise booked up through next year! And need no single supplement so its mostly Ponant but I guess I'll have to look at it now

I think 2026 is all sold out anyways...,this is a small ship so filled quickly.

We did see a snake btw. Some freaked. I just wanted a photo.



Yesterday and today we are berthed in Kobe which is the launch area for Kyoto and Osaka. Arrived at 12 noon. We had just planned to go to Mt Rokko in the arvo which we did, that involved a total of 6 trains, two buses and two cable car rides. All self negotiated and using the Suica. Unfortunately we caught up with a celebrity tour at the cable car.

A weird incident on the bus though. It was quite full and there was a man on one side and a woman on the other both with spare seats. So we took one each side. They guy was on my side and immediately became agitated. His wife was sitting on the other side and he didn't like that we were sitting in those seats. I presumed he was either a tourist from China or a local Chinese resident. Anyway he then decided to mansplane so I had so little room, had nowhere to put my left foot other than in the stairwell and had the metal bar of the seat jammed into my thigh. I managed it for a bit then tried to move. He then shifted sightly which helped. At which point he asked where the stop was to get off the the cable car. Mmm. That would be the cable car Mt Rokko stop. Fine. Asked if I was a local. . Ah that's a no. Then he asked if I was on the cruise ship. Yeees. Oh, so am I and I am from Sydney (making a mental note never to cross paths with him again). Ok. We get off. The cable car is packed. A guy gets up and offers me a seat. Very nice. I said no Thankyou and gestured towards the NSW man's wife who seemed slightly older. Nice of me right? Well, before she could get into the seat her husband took the seat and left his wife to stand. WTF was wrong with this person. Then when we returned to the cable car he was there again. He said aren't you going to the top. Ah, we are at the top. Well where are those buses going? He asked. Ah, to a different area that we didn't want to go to. Well he demanded, when is the last cable car leaving? I just shrug my shoulders. Well, I will go ask he said and to wait for him. His wife was standing next to the buses. But as he tottled off the cable car came and we quickly got on and left him. Weird.

Anyways the view. Millenium is down............................




Osaka Bay and Osaka city.



The cable was really steep, and coming down, the steps to board it were almost impossible.



Phew.

 

[Pushka]

The ship was deserted when we returned. The buffet had a British theme. Yesterday it was Mexican. But there's always Pizza.

 

[Pushka]

Later into the Retreat Lounge. This is where we get our free alcohol. It was deserted so took some photos. Actually it's always deserted.


Our Royal friends posted that they'd made it to Osaka World Trade fair so that's quite an achievement.

MrP had a wonderful dinner. Sashimi and then crab linguine. Mine was ok. They do seafood much better than meat. The presentation of the amuse bouche was wonderful.


And then, the Kobe drummers. Absolutely wonderful and they had a standing ovation to a full house. Throughly deserved. We then met them backstage and they remembered us from their boarding. So much energy.



They kept this high energy up for 45 minutes.

 

[Quickstatus]

Some people have no insight into their behaviour or how they come across in public. Or maybe they don't care

 

[Quickstatus]

paprika etc... to enhance the yolk colour.

Ive been putting it into the chicken feed. No difference so far

We then met them backstage

Is that a Retreat /suites benefit?

 

[Pushka]

Ive been putting it into the chicken feed. No difference so far


Is that a Retreat /suites benefit?

Open to all. We do get reserved seating though.

So another day in Kobe

Another kind of sad thing for crew. Because we didn’t get the drinks package then everything we consume in the dining room is a pay for. So we bring our own from the lounge which is free. At breakfast I assumed the lattes were free. No one mentioned otherwise until the sommelier came over to ask me to pay. I just said - I didn’t realise it was a charge and she said ok, I’ll remove it then. All good.

The next morning we were dawdling and left it too late to get to the suite dining room. Last night we went to dinner. We brought our Cloudy Bay wine with us. The sommelier came over and apologised deeply because she thought we were angry at being asked to pay for coffee and if we came back to breakfast then coffee would always be free. Goodness. I reassured her we were not upset we were just too late and we simply missed breakfast time. But clearly she may have gotten into trouble for it. Kinda sad. But we left with full smiles.

 

[Pushka]

Back to touring. We caught the shuttle bus into Chinatown. Fabulous place. And only here is it allowable to eat and walk.

Motomachidori street.


Fabulous smells and food. Hugely busy. With school kids lunch time.









Lunch

 

[Pushka]

Into Daimaru food court. Fabulous produce. Perfect salmon - 5 pieces for ~$16.

 

[Pushka]

We each bought a bao bun then decided to head back to the ship by shuttle bus. After I’d made a purchase. Oh and we found a four level Daiso shop and made so many small purchases. I’ve found the only shop MrP will voluntarily enter.

On arrival at the port, we were one of the first back as we weren’t on a tour, we looked at the various souvenir stalls but at the back were several women with desks set up. It was deserted of tourists so of course we approached it as one of the ladies approached us. They said they were teaching people the art of calligraphy. So we sat down and spent the next 15 minutes being instructed and practising and then were given this beautiful gold edged board on which to make our final effort. They turned out rather special.

One is Light and the other is Heart.



I took a picture of the class after we’d finished. By now there was a queue. It seemed this was their first time and they had a specialist photographer taking pictures.

 

[Pushka]

Now this post is for those who especially love the art of packaging. This one was a delight. We watched the two ladies gleefully wrap it up. Just like Mr Bean. We couldn’t actually see what was happening.

I’ll start at the end result and work backwards.






Those two little objects at the left side? They are tiny packets of ice to keep the product cold and fresh.

 

[Quickstatus]

se she thought we were angry

They must get angry customers all the time and their jobs probably depend in part on customer feedback incl. complaints.
I'm wonder which cruise the Tram guy is on

One is Light and the other is Heart.

What's pushka or the relevant derivative?

y love the art of packaging

I don't get packaging.
Just like when MrsQS got a small trinket from Tiffany NYC. I saw it come out of a drawer - it was in a tiny plastic ziplock (= mass produced) then that goes into a Tiffany box which goes into a small Tiffany cardboard bag which then goes into a large Tiffany bag. I don't get it.... just give me a lower price...