Seeing the world one blog at a time

Oh wait, I'm not done yet!

2009-12-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

Hello again friends. I’ve been back on the main land for almost two weeks now but I need to fill you in on the end of my journey. I had great plans of spending the final crossing by writing stories and posting photos of shipboard life along the way but work actually got in the way. So, lets review. We had just left Kobe and our ten-day crossing to Hawaii started off nicely.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with a better that usual meal and some of us dressed up a bit to enjoy dinner with our shipboard family. Thanksgiving dinner with GH and AH

We crossed the International Date Line on the 28th so we had 2 Saturdays – it just seemed like another day really. Some students and staff joked about wearing the same clothes and having the same meals to have a true groundhog day. One of the big responsibilities of one of my co-workers was the SAS annual fundraising drive and auction that occurred on the 2nd 28th. It was a great success with 100% participation and nearly $43,000.00 raised from the shipboard community.

The book used for the class I became a TA for.

I forget if I have mentioned it along the way but as the academic support Living Learning Coordinator I was asked to facilitate review sessions for the global studies class halfway through the semester. Well during this final crossing I was asked by the academic dean to create a study guide for the final. I’ll be the first to admit my job was really great and pretty easy – until then. I asked for support in creating the study-guide. As I did not receive notes from the professor, they were all just what I took from the lecture. I was worried about providing wrong information or telling students to study info that would not be covered. While I have always had a flair for the dramatic I’ll spare you the back and forth with my supervisor and the academic dean. I had a few stressful days but the students seemed to appreciate it and the over all grades turned out better than the midterm. By the time we arrived to Hawaii the exam was over and I was ready for a few days of rest, relaxation and sunshine.

We arrived in Honolulu very early on December 4th so early that my supervisor told us to be ready to work at 6am. Ouch. Along the journey we had heard conflicting things about our arrival to Hawaii, it was after all our return to US soil for the first time. At one point we were all prepared to go through customs and immigration and then have a quick and easy arrival to San Diego. In the end we just had to deal with immigration in Honolulu- customs would happen in San Diego after all. The immigration officials came on board and as we had done many times before, facilitated the process of every passenger coming through the faculty staff lounge and getting their passport stamped. Finally the ship was cleared and we were off on our way. I joined HM from the field office and PL one of the ship psychologists for a hike up Diamond Head.
I love PL- she is amazing we had great conversation as we made our way up the trail. From there we got lunch and then spent a few hours at the beach in Waikiki where AB joined us as well. I had to get back for duty that night and I was expecting the worst but hoping for the best. It all turned out great as I didn’t get a single call- I actually woke up at 8am and checked to make sure that I had not pulled my phone out of the wall when I put it closer to my bed the night before.

For our second day in Honolulu I again went back to Waikiki to get more sun. The Living Learning Team all met at Bucca DiBeppo for our final meal together before we would all part ways in San Diego. It was a great meal with plenty of laughs as has come to be expected with our group. After that it was back to the ship for re-embarkation, as we would make a short overnight journey to Hilo, Hawaii- a small city on the southern side of the big island.
Grace running through the port terminal to make sure she gets back on the ship in time.

We didn’t have to do anything for disembarkation so the morning was quick and easy. AB and I joined a SAS trip on a half-day volcano tour that I really didn’t care for. The weather was overcast and a bit on the rainy side so all I was thinking was how much I wanted to still be in Honolulu. Hilo didn’t have much to offer and it's terrible to say but I was just ready to go home at that point.

On the second day in Hilo SAS hosted the largest 5k Fun Run Hilo has ever had! The former Miss Hawaii who now works at the Mayor’s office even came to start off the run. It was a celebration of our journey and a fundraiser for the students of service program “The $100 Solution” We had a great turn out with nearly 300 members of the shipboard community registered. Being the stubborn and competitive person I am I decided not to run but to volunteer instead. I stood at the 1K point and directed the runners along the way. With the 5k over, it was time to board the ship for the last time. The LLT took our positions for one last time and welcomed students back. I told students to get a good final swipe and enjoy the long walk up the gangway stairs for the last time. Some laughed and a few even cried as they got a bit emotional as our voyage had come to an end. Terrence followed my directions and made sure to get a good final swipe in.

We had heard that a bad storm was approaching and there were rumors of being stuck in Hilo for an extra day or maybe even going up to Canada instead of San Diego. As we ate dinner the dean of students came over the ship PA system called the LLT into an emergency meeting that night to be followed by full a shipboard community meeting. The LLT gathered in one of the classrooms that is on the main hallway of the ship and to make it even better has large glass doors so everyone walking by could see us with our serious faces as Byron told us the plan. Being sworn to secrecy until the shipboard meeting we all walked out of the meeting in silence making the students near by spin with ideas of what was coming.

A short time later we all filed into the union and waited for the news. Executive Dean Nick began by confirming the weather reports saying that sailing in the next few days was in no way a safety concern but just a comfort concern. After much conversation with the ship’s Captain and the ISE main office it was determined that the best choice would be to RETURN TO HONOLULU FOR AN EXTRA DAY! It was really a great moment to see the excitement of the students and faculty and staff for that matter with the news. The academic schedule was not changed so the extra day in Honolulu still served as a study day and the first day of finals would still occur two days later.
I spent my extra day again hiking and beaching with HM and PL. I also got a GREAT plate of nachos that made up for the four chips with cheese on them that I had in Tokyo.
Hey Tokyo- THESE ARE NACHOS!

The LLT made our way back to the ship to welcome everyone back on board for one last time (again). Spirits were high and everyone seemed to appreciate of bonus day. Homeward bound!

The last time I had Kobe beef…

2009-12-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

...I was in Kobe. My former supervisor at LMU who worked for Semester At Sea a few years ago would regularly share stories of her voyage. One time when a group of us were out for dinner someone ordered a Kobe beef burger, which prompted Briana to say, “The last time I have Kobe beef, I was in Kobe”. We all loved and hated her for it. Now it was my turn.

AB and I had talked for weeks about our plan to have Kobe beef in Kobe and that was the only thing on the agenda for our one day in Kobe. We asked the info desk in the port terminal for any suggestions but she was not too helpful, so we just took a chance and it paid off. We were looking at a menu in Japanese and the hostess brought out an English menu and our mind was made up. We sat down at a bar top like grill. We made our decision to share a lunch as a single lunch cost $80.00.

The chef brought out a cut of beef and with our approval began prepare it right in front of us. First he placed our plates with a small pile of pepper and salt in front of us. He began to sauté some veggies and then started to cut the beef. He cut off all the fat and put it to the side. I am always impressed watching people cook. They make it look easy and then when I even think of trying to do it myself I get overwhelmed. Thus my biggest cooking accomplishment to date is Hamburger Helper. What can I say, when you have had a university meal plan for the past 5 and a half years there is little motivation to learn how to cook. The meal was amazing and well worth the $80.00, so much so I almost considered placing another order.

AB and I left with very happy bellies and ventured off to find some gifts for her nieces back in Rhode Island and as so many times before on this journey, a local helped us out and took us to just the right place. With gifts in hand we continued to walk through the shops where I loved the clothes and the style of everything. Japan is a very formal culture. Even on the weekend most of the people walking around were very well dressed, the men in suits and the women also in stylish business wear. Of course everything I looked at was far beyond my price range but it made me wish. If I ever become insanely wealthy I will come to Japan and buy an entirely new wardrobe.

AB and I then dragged our heals getting back to the ship to work our re-embarkation shifts knowing that we had 10 days at sea ahead of us. Thanksgiving on the ship, crossing the international date line where we went from being 19 hours ahead of LA time to having two Saturday November 28th and then behind LA by 5 hours, and the beginning of student final exams. The longest crossing of the voyage marked the final push but more on that later.
Cheers.

Tokyo days 2 and 3

2009-12-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

After 2 hours of sleep following my epic night out I was running on empty but ready to continue exploring with the group for a few hours. We eventually got ready and AH and I made our second night reservations at the same hostel as the rest of the group would be leaving for Kobe that evening. We all went to breakfast and continued our adventure. By this point we had gotten pretty good with the train system and made our way to Tokyo Tower for a bit before ED and AB had to take off for Kobe.

AH knew that I was struggling so we went back to our hostel and I took a nap while she spent some time catching up on e-mails. Feeling refreshed we walked through town again and struggled to find a place for dinner and after a few laps finally found a place that did little more than serve a purpose of nourishment. The conversation with AH however made up for the poor service and annoyance of the others around us. Afterwards we continued our strolling and talking about life, love and the pursuit of happiness.

Back to the hostel I had one hell of a time falling asleep. Being as tired as I was I should have passed out the second my head hit the pillow but I could not shut off my head. Maybe it was the two classes of soda I had with dinner but I was convinced that it was my lack of comfort being in a hostel room with other people. I wish I had taken a photo of the room but I didn’t so I’ll do my best to explain the situation to you.

We were in a co-ed 8-bed room, 4 sets of bunk beds. The other people in the room seemed harmless enough, a father/son pair, two Asian people, a random old guy, and a collage age kid. AH was in the top bunk against the wall and I was in the top bunk next to her in between another bunk. There I was, tossing and turning, turning on my ipod (I usually have music on when I fall asleep) thinking it would help. Nope. I just felt really exposed and vulnerable like one of these random people could attack at any second and I had no defense. I was debating getting out of bed, telling AH that we were leaving and that I would pay for a hotel room. I was driving myself crazy. I am laughing at myself now as I write this but it took me what felt like hours to fall asleep. Thankfully once I did fall asleep I slept very well. AH however was having a battle with the other woman in the room over the heater. She told me that every hour or so the woman turn the heat down, then AH would get really cold and turn the heat back up. She said this battle went on all night.

The next morning I was ready to leave the hostel, glad that I have now had the experience and that I don’t need to again. It was a wonderful day so AH and I made our way to the Emperor’s Palace.

I laughed out loud when I read this sign, then kept moving.

'Other people's' are my favorite type of kid.

We took our time walking around, looking at the exhibits, people watching and taking in the city.
With some time to kill before our train to Kobe we explored a mall as AH wanted to buy a book the 3+ hour ride. The mall was all decorated for Christmas and it put me in the spirit so that when we got back to the ship I put a few of my Christmas albums back on my ipod and they have been in heavy rotation ever sense.

The Shinkansen (bullet train) was amazing. It was roomy, comfortable and obviously traveled very quickly. I did some journaling and slept for a good portion of the journey. Like China, the ship changed ports while we traveled. We left it in Yokohama but while we were in Tokyo the ship sailed to Kobe. AH and I found our way to the ship and like every other trip, there was a sense of relief as we saw the ship come into view as our train arrived at the port station. I spent the rest of the evening catching up with ED and AB and making plans to enjoy some Kobe beef the next day.

Tokyo Day 1

2009-12-07T01:30:00.000-08:00

On November 21st I packed my bag, met ED and we took the train to Tokyo. MacG had made everyone a great packet with our hostel reservations, highlighted maps and directions to the hostel so we felt confident in our ability to find our way. The rest of the group were on a SAS trip that day and would join us later that evening in Tokyo, so it was just ED and I for the day. We got to the train and stood in our line – the Japanese love keeping things in a nice neat order – and waited for the train. It wasn’t long before I heard the pleasant sounds of birds chirping overhead. After a while I realized that the birds I was hearing was actually a speaker with bird noises serving as a bird deterrent. Those clever Japanese!

Anyway- we made it to Tokyo and even with MacG's directions we some how seemed to get a bit lost but eventually figured it out- I was proud of us. We made it to our hostel where we had a 6 person private room for our group, dropped off our bags and went back out to explore. Walking through the busy streets of vendors and tour groups we happened to run into a former student of ED's from when he worked at Boston College a few years ago! She was in Japan with the JET program – an English teaching program. We sat with her and her friends for a bit while ED and she shared stories of the crazy days at BC.

ED and I had plans that night to meet another staff member who was on a SAS trip in Tokyo at his hotel and hit the town. With a bit of luck and a little help from some security guards at a construction site we finally found GH’s hotel and went to find some dinner. We tried to get something fast but the McDonalds wouldn’t take credit card so we went to TGIFridays. Fridays was a staple of my high school years and I can’t even remember that last time I had been there, so for the novelty and humor of it all I had to go. I was excited with the chance to get some nachos until they arrived. Four chips do not count as a plate of nachos. After the over priced dinner we got on the train and prepared for a long night out. The trains stop at midnight and don’t start again until 5am so we were out for the entire night.

We made the rounds of the bars, lounges and clubs where we danced the hours away. We met a few English speakers along the way who took us under their wing and showed us a good time. We met Damon, from Detroit who also came to Japan to work for the JET program 7 years ago and never left. As the night turned into day we stopped for a quick bite to eat before Damon got us back on the trains and finally around 7am we made it back to our hostel. ED and I tried our best to quietly enter the room where our travel companions were sleeping but the climbing into bunk beds proved to be a bit loud as they all woke up and we shared a brief recap of the evening before getting a few short hours of sleep.

Welcome to Japan

2009-12-07T01:02:00.001-08:00

On November 20th the MV Explorer arrived in Yokohama, Japan! As we approached and the sun began to rise we could see Mt Fuji in the distance, it was amazing. The port terminal was beautiful, it has a large park/promenade area on the roof that seemed to be a popular running area based on the number of people we saw. We were welcomed by a group of drummers and I had to laugh at the thought of all the people still sleeping and being startled awake by all the noise.

After the disembarkation and immigration process, which the LLCs helped with of course we were finally set free around noon. A group of us had plans to go to Tokyo the next day and we would need train tickets for the trip to Kobe on the Shinkansen (the bullet train) so the group of us went to the station to buy our tickets. With tickets purchased our group split up – the Beckers went to the Ramen Noodle museum (yes, really) AB and I went looking for an ATM that we could use to no avail. With our cranky pants on we needed something to cheer us up and Starbucks served the purpose.

With our coffee in hand set our sights on the big Ferris wheel that could be seen from the ship. On the way we walked through a mall and I saw a sweatshirt that caught my eye.
I couldn’t believe it – Walled Lake! That is where I went to high school back in Michigan. If the sweatshirt didn’t cost $90.00 I would have considered buying it but instead I just have photos. Cue tangent - Japan over all is very expensive. We had been told this as we approached Japan but I figured, ‘eh, I live in Los Angeles, everything is expensive, how bad can it be?’ It was bad. I would say in general things were nearly double the price in some stores. Ok, end of tangent.

AB and I finally made it to the amusement park area we enjoyed watching the nearly empty park rides zip along their tracks and decided not to pay the $7.00 to ride the Ferris wheel.
We walked along the water back to the ship and enjoyed the skyline light up all around us.
We had been invited by our assistant dean of students and good friend ED to go out dinner with the filed office coordinator and the two of the agents from the tour company that SAS worked with.

I have no idea where they took us but it was amazing. We had our own private room, which I guess is pretty common. The two agents asked what we liked and more importantly what we didn’t like and the next thing we knew food was coming in, plate after plate and beverages glass after glass. I continued my efforts at eating with chopsticks and did quite well considering When the plates of sushi came out I challenged myself and moved past the California roll but not much and had two tuna rolls. At that point I called it good. The two girls showed us a great time and thankfully got us back to the train station and even went all the way back to the ship with us as their kind hospitality put us in a condition less than ideal to try and figure out a tricky subway map in a different language.

One day in Shanghai

2009-12-07T00:41:00.000-08:00

The view from the ship when we arrived to Shanghai!

While I hiked the great wall the ship made the short journey from Hong Kong to Shanghai- so when we arrived back to the ship we arrived to our new home for the next day. I spent my last day exploring with the Beckers and AB. It was a rainy Monday and the museum we wanted to go to was closed, so we went to Starbucks and McDonalds. After that we continued to walk around and found ourselves in a crazy four floor market place with hundreds of booths selling everything and anything; underwear, luggage, Christmas decorations, hair extensions, belts, tea sets… We made no purchases and continued our aimless walking. We came across a Dunkin Donuts and we took the opportunity to take sanctuary from the rain.

After drying off a bit and warming up we braved the elements again and went underground to catch the train to the other side of the river and explore the down town area. We found ourselves at the base of the pearl but choose not to go up to the top. Somewhere in our journeying we got word via AB’s blackberry e-mail that due to rough seas ahead the captain had pushed our on ship time from 6pm that evening to noon the following day – YAHOO! AB and I tried to walk to the one of the tallest buildings in the world called the ‘bottle opener’ because of the cut out on the top floors that resembles a bottle opener but as the city was TORN UP by construction preparing for the world expo next May we found ourselves lost in a maze of dead ends and almost but not quite there’s and as the rain picked up I decided to call it a day and we went back to the ship. I eventually went back out with the Beckers to spend the last of my Chinese currency on snacks and a few odds and ends. We set sail the following afternoon and headed to Yokohama, Japan.
I saw this in a sign shop window. My response "No thanks, I've got plenty"

Sorry China, I'm cold.

2009-12-06T00:13:00.001-08:00

After our days on the Great Wall, we made it to Beijing. We payed a very quick visit, so quick it was really more of a drive by of two of the Olympic sites - The Birds Nest and the Cube. We did not have time to go into either and most of our group just went to McDonald's anyway. It was much colder in Beijing than it was on the wall, so after the long day on the wall I just wanted to get warm and take a shower. I did a quick look at the buildings and got back on the bus. I later learned from people on other trips who were able to go into the Birds Nest, that the Cube - where the swimming and diving events were held is being turned into a water park!

The next day we had a visit to Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City but again it was SO AMAZINGLY cold that we rushed through it. As a staff member I was trying to be good and not complain but I was ready to get back on the bus and just head to the airport and return to the ship. Maybe I can come back to China some day and if so, I'll do it in the summer. Sorry China. Don't let that big goofy smile fool you, I was pretty miserable

So long old friend

2009-11-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my last post I lost Gumby on the Great Wall. Through this entire voyage my plan was to make my final blog post a collection of Gumby photos from around the world. As he didn't make it all the way I'll do it now. I hope it brings a smile to your face and some joy to your day.

Sailing around the world with his monkey friends.

Enjoying the breakfast of champions - coke and some fresh bread in Cadiz, Spain

Feeling like he lives in Ikea at the hotel in Seville, Spain

Loving the view of the ship in Cadiz, Spain

At the 3rd largest mosque in the world - Casablanca, Morocco

Traveling through the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

In the sands of the Sahara, Morocco

On the camel trek in Morocco

Enjoying a parade in Ghana

Having a hard time finding his size in Ghana

Being transported like the local goods in Ghana.

Sunrise as we approach Cape Town, South Africa

Sending post cards from Cape Town to the friends back in the states

Staying in from the rain and having some good soup in Cape Town

Getting to know the natives in Cape Town

Shaking in his boots on Safari at Kruger National Park, South Africa

At the Mauritius Postal Museum

At the best named shop in all of Mauritius

Shopping for some spices and seeds in Mauritius

In a cab in India

On the train in India

Hello from the Taj Mahal

Making new friends in at the Emperor's palace in Cambodia

Sunrise at Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Having a nice conversation with the soldiers at the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam.

Ready to fly to Beijing!

At the Great Wall

Wish you were here

I like it so much I think I'll stay!

Its been fun little guy. Good luck out there.

Happy Birthday!

2009-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

Its my brother's birthday today!

Hiking the Great Wall: part 2

2009-11-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

I failed to write about the locals in in part 1. I would say that there were about 15 locals who made the entire walk with us. They knew the wall and would help us up and down the steps along the way. The down side as we learned was that as soon as we stopped for a break they would pull off their backpacks and try to sell us stuff. T-shirts, sweatshirts, chopsticks, postcard books, Great Wall fact books ect. It got old fast. I blame my Irish guilt for my purchace of the “I climbed the Great Wall” t-shirt. Ok, now on to day two…

Not everyone made it to the wall the second day and some didn’t make it back. About half of the group decided to go to Beijing and the tour company was great enough not only to allow one of the buses to go to the city but also to arrange a one day city tour. I was among the troopers who managed to hike day two, after all that is what I planned to do and I’m not much one for spontaneity.

As we finished day one our guide told that day two was easier and less stairs. The itinerary even said, “We will enjoy a smooth, easy hike” so we had high hopes. My hopes were shattered pretty quickly. We had a 5-6 hour, 7 mile hike in front of us and from the start I was thinking to myself ‘it’s a good thing half the group passed on day two’. We began where we finished the day before; Jinshanling and hiked to Gubeikou Great Wall.

The famous Gubrikou Great Wall occupies a strategically important location which is difficult to access, and its constructuion rates highly as an architectural achievement. There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16 strategic pass, three citadels and many other military constructions. Many of them are famous cultural relics, such as the Big Flower Beacon Tower of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Fairy Tower, General Tower, and the dominant Wangjing Tower.

I’ll be honest, I was too cold to stop and read the information located at the occasional towers and I was hiking too fast for the guide so if he shared any info along the way I didn’t hear him. But it was still a cool experience. The day was more difficult for different reasons at different times.

It was a cloudy day so it was a good bit colder all day. It was also windy so that make things worse both as far as of walking safely and being cold. We had two young kids on our trip, Chase who is 11 and Gabe who is 7, maybe 8. There dad works on the ship in the filed office and in the real world their parents have their own outdoor adventure travel company. These kids are troopers and Chase led the group the entire way. He was running up and down these steps that the rest of us held onto for dear life.

There were times that we were almost scaling the Great Wall as we walked along the side with less than a foot of pathway to walk on. For a good portion of the day we were actually hiking next to the Great Wall through cornfields and over frozen streams. Day two for many of us was about conquering the wall, not the fun hike that it was the day before. After lunch I put on my ipod, turned up the music and just kept moving forward. As I write this I feel like I am making sound horrible but it really wasn’t – it was a challenging day but I am grateful for the experience. I look forward to telling stories when I am an old man that start: “when I was 28 and hiking through the snow on the Great Wall…”

Our tour guide had initially told us that he wanted to keep the group somewhat close together which makes sense. However on day two with Chase leading the way the group was pretty spread out. For the first portion of the day our second guide was in the front and the main guide was in the back. As we hit the trail after lunch I assumed the assistant guide was once again in front. Well I was mistaken.

I was in the middle of the pack and was by myself for a fair amount of the hike. As the front group began to move away from the wall I got a bit nervous but guessed the guide knew where to take us. I was concerned about the spread of people behind me because as I lost view of them I didn’t think they would know where to leave the Wall and take the path down into the valley. I made my way down the poorly market path and through the old military area where I found the front portion of the group being heckled by a number of the locals with whom I lost my patience with when I realized our real guide was not at the front of the group. Being the only staff member there I quickly pulled out my itinerary, encouraged the students to stretch a bit and keep walking around to stay warm as the paper work said we pass through a small town before rejoining the wall and finishing the hike. I had no idea how much longer we had to go and frankly I got a bit nervous. I turned on my cell phone only to see that I had no service.

I stayed with the group for about 10 minutes and tried not to show my concern too much. After a bit I told the group not to go anywhere as I hiked about 5 minutes back towards the military base and into the valley a bit further where I after about 15 minutes I saw the group come over the ridge and to hike down into the valley. Finally reconnected I was happy to learn that the remainder of our hike was all of 5 minutes to the bus.

Now, if you read carefully you will remember that I said not everyone made it back. It is with a heavy heart that I share this news. My dear friend and travel companion Gumby was lost on the Great Wall. (I’ll wait for you to wipe the tears) My only guess is that he fell out of my pocket at some point. While it was my plan to make my final post a collection of Gumby around the world he didn’t quite make it all the way. Close but no cigar as my dad might say.

For what its worth it was a far better situation to have lost Gumby than my camera, phone or wallet but I was still disappointed when I realized I lost him. I had hoped that someone behind me would find him and know he was mine but no such luck. So unfortunately and prematurely my next blog post will be the best of Gumby around the world photos. Until then, cheers and thanks for reading and following me along on my journey.

Hiking the Great Wall: part 1

2009-11-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

Our visit to the Great Wall was a cold one but could have been much worse. In the days leading up to it people were talking that our hotel had no heat and that it was going to be a high of 30 degrees. I am happy to say that the night before we arrived in Hong Kong at our logistical pre-port we were told that the tour company was able to change our accommodations to a 5 star hotel with heat. We were over-joyed. We still talked about how to dress for the cold - its all about layers and good shoes. We encouraged everyone who was not prepared for the cold to spend our first day in Hong Kong at the port terminal mall buying some good clothes. Most took the advice – some did not.

We took a three-hour flight from Hong Kong to Beijing and then a few more hours on bus to our hotel. Our tour guide told us that the hotel was nice but tends to cater to conferences and locals. The service and accommodations were nice, but very few of the staff speak any English. Fine by me. The hotel was pretty big, pretty big and totally empty. I kept calling it creepy and other SAS staff agreed. Don’t get me wrong; it was nice as I’m sure the hotel in THE SHINGING was nice. The lobby was huge and all marble with a small sitting area just inside the doors, a gift shop on one side and the lobby bar on the other. As we got our keys the staff made plans to meet in the bar at 9pm. Well we didn’t confirm which bar so in my walking around I ran into Nurse C and we ventured together. We went to the basement were we found an empty nightclub and then we heard some voices hear by. It was the trip and bus leader team, husband and wife A&T trying their best to communicate with the hotel staff working at the bowling ally. We gave up and decided to go up to the lobby bar.
Look at Bangs with her cute red vest.

We named the bartender Bangs, because she had bangs. (I learned this smart naming style from my college roommate Becky). Bangs was new and struggled her way through the ordering process as did we. We eventually got a bottle of wine and 1 warm beer because they didn’t have anything else. We tried to make the best of the situation and enjoyed our company. After one decent bottle of wine and one bad bottle of wine we called it a night.

Bright and early with A&T our fearless leaders!

We began our hike of the wall with some stretching which while understanding it to be a good idea was still funny to me.

The following bit is from the itinerary we got

The Great Wall’s first section was built as early as the fifth century BC when a number of Chinese states in the north were fighting against each other and occasionally against the northern ‘barbarian’. It was not until the unification of the empire under Qin Shi Huang Di in 221 B.C. that the various sections of the wall were linked, It is said that more than 300,000 men worked for ten years to complete it. The wall has a pounded earth interior with stone facing walls and stone roadway along the top. It was built wide enough to allow a brace of five horsed to gallop between the battlements and was used to convey soldiers, arms, and food with great speed to various parts of the northern frontier.

The first day we had hiked about five and half miles from Simatai Great Wall and Jinshanling Section passing 35 towers. The Simatai- Jinshanling is a four-hour hike along the unreconstructed part of the wall. The views of the Wall snaking over the precipitous mountain ridges into the far distance are memorable. The Simatai Great Wall is celebrated for its steepness and intactness.

Seriously – Steepness! It was a substantial hike. I would dare consider myself an avid hiker having hiked the Grand Canyon and Half Dome (Shout out to Drew, Nicki, JMac, Jeff and Tim) and hiking the Santa Monica Mountains as often as I can, but this Great Wall hike was pretty hard-core. At times we laughed (if only to keep from complaining) saying that we were in fact climbing, not hiking the Great Wall.
To make things worse, it snowed the night before so we were walking along snow-covered steps. With that bit of complaining out of the way, once we got moving and the sun came out it was pretty nice. It wasn’t windy, we rarely saw anyone else, which after months of being in cow heard tour mentality being ‘on our own’ was a wonderful feeling. The views really were pretty amazing and as I have said a number of times on the journey it was nice to have an active day and work up a good sweat.

That night we had a great dinner at a local restaurant where I ate everything on the table and with chopsticks! There were fish tanks against the wall and at one point a large fish about a foot and a half long jumped out of the tank and hit one of the students in the back. As our group erupted into a fit of laughter and screams the waitress just picked it up off the floor with a giggle and tossed it back in the tank and went about her business. After dinner the grown ups then took a walk around the block and we got a fair share of ‘what the hell are you doing here’ looks. Back at the hotel we paid another visit to the lobby bar and I will admit that Bangs learned a few things from the night before and our service was better. They didn’t however learn to chill the beer.

Hello Hong Kong!

2009-11-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

On November 11th we arrived in Hong Kong. While it wasn’t a three hour trip up the Saigon River the approach was still pretty neat, just the contrast we have experiences in the ports alone has been a neat part of the voyage. The skyscrapers, flashing lights, huge video screens engulfed us as we tied down at the dock. The port terminal was out of control, while we had been just outside a mall in South Africa the terminal in Hong Kong was a mall! We walked off the ship and into a shoe store.

Once the clearning process was done we were ready to get off the ship even though we had just left Vietnam two days prior. It has been great to see the confidence that many of us have developed for travel though this process. I remember when our first and second ports, Spain and Morocco, were just one day apart people were pretty nervous and struggling to prepare after just returning. But now it is old hat and we hit the ground running in whatever country we wake up in. Anyway, the regular crew and I made our way to the ATMs and money exchange and decided to go to the Big Buddha.

The Tian Tan Buddha Statue is the world's largest, seated, outdoor, bronze Big Buddha statue. Constructed from 202 bronze pieces, the Tian Tan Buddha Statue weighs over 250 tons and soars 34 meters into the air. Sitting atop 268 steps, the Tian Tan Buddha Statue is positioned on a lotus throne, surrounded by eight smaller bronze statues representative of the gods, or immortals. The statue is so named as its base is a model of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The Buddha Statue's right hand is raised, representing the removal of affliction; his left hand rests on his knee, signifying human happiness.

We also decided to spend a little extra money and take the Crystal Cabin cable car up to the Buddha. It is a 25min 3.5-mile ride one way and we really enjoyed it. It was rather scary at first but after a while we were all laying on the floor for photos and just enjoying the views.
Once we made it to the top there was a kite festival going on and we watched as a team launched a huge octopus kite. The high winds seemed to be a challenge for the 3 person flying team and the kite eventually crashed into a tree. With that we continued walking to the temples at the base of the Buddha. As many of the other temples we have seen on this journey they were beautiful. Bright colors, amazing details.

Finally we began the climb to the Buddha. We walked around for a while went inside and saw what I believed to be prayer cards for people and took plenty of photos. It was much colder at the Buddha than it was back in town and the clouds were rolling in so I was ready to go after a while. Back down we went in our crystal cabin and back to the port. E and G ran back to the ship for dinner while A, A, and I decided to treat ourselves to some Pizza Hut. This place was the classiest pizza hut I have ever seen. Seriously, it looked more like a nice restaurant in West Hollywood than a pizza place in a mall. We had a nice dinner and went back to the ship were I packed for my trip to Beijing that left the next morning before going out on the town.

The subways were a bit of a challenge but we eventually figured it our and got to the bars. We happily avoided students for most of the evening until the very end when we walked out to catch a cab and I saw one of our students in bad shape across the street. I went to the group and told them to take her back to the ship and the medical staff and LLC on duty will take care of her. Their faces lit up and then I realized that the rest of the group was not actually SASers but random people being nice and helping out the student. I thanked them and they went on their way. I sat with the student for a while before getting her into a cab and taking her back to the ship. While the night ended rather poorly I still had a great time and was excited to go hike the Great Wall in the coming days.

The last day in Vietnam; Cu Chi Tunnels

2009-11-24T20:55:00.000-08:00

For my last day in Vietnam I offered to help the field office team who was desperate for a trip leader for a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was one of the more educational trips I had been on but still a good time. I had a small group of students, only about 20 so it was an easy trip coming off of the Cambodia trip.

Here is your history lesson of the day via Wikipedia

The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems should not be underestimated in its importance to the Viet Cong in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually culminating in an American withdrawal.

I tried to get a lot of pictures thinking that maybe Cormac could use them in class. The tour was pretty neat, showing us old traps, and tunnels that had been expanded to allow tourists to go inside. A highlight for some of the students was the shooting range that came with the tour. I didn’t take part but instead sat and marinated in the crazy humidity.

This was the actual size of the entrances to the tunnel. The ones we went into later have been expanded.

Just one of the many types of traps created. They all looked very painful.

Onward to China!

Cambodia Part 2

2009-11-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

Our last day in Cambodia was jam packed with places to see. It began with an optional visit to Angkor Wat for sunrise and about half of the participants joined me. Unlike sunrise at the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat was pretty busy and bustling with vendors ready to make a few dollars by selling coffee and tea.

Watching the sunrise with a handful of students, parents and a few hundred random people was a neat experience and made me use the token line of my SAS experience: ‘what is my life?’ Just as quickly as the sun came up, we were bussed back to the hotel for breakfast where we met the rest of the group for the day ahead. We went to a bunch of temples around Angkor Wat including an area where the movie Laura Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed.
Most of the temples are in various stages of decay and are now being refurbished. My favorite was the Bayon temple or temple of faces. It is a Buddhist temple but has Hindu elements incorporated. Its main tower has huge stone face that some call the Mona Lisa of Southeast Asia on each side. There are 51 smaller towers surrounding Bayon, each with the four faces. I liked this temple so much that I bought a sandstone replica of the one of the faces. I’ll be excited to display it in my new home, once I find one.

I didn't take these two photos but I really like them and they are far better than the ones I took. Enjoy

We made our way back to Angkor Wat for our full tour where we got our history lesson. Thanks to scared-destinations.com I’ll give you a little lesson as well.

Built in the 12th century by the king of the prosperous Khmer empire, Angkor Wat was built as a royal temple dedicated to a Hindu deity. After the city of Angkor fell to invaders, Angkor Wat receded into the jungle but continued as a Buddhist temple and a pilgrimage site over the centuries. Angkor Wat is the best-preserved example of Khmer architecture in Cambodia and is so grand in design that some rank it among the Seven Wonders of the World. It appears on the Cambodian national flag, a very rare instance of a flag incorporating an image of a building. The "lost city" of Angkor first attracted the interest of Europeans in the 1800s after the French colonized Cambodia. Today, Angkor Wat continues to draw thousands of visitors anxious to see this remarkable ancient temple in the jungle. In addition to many tourists, Buddhist monks are daily visitors to Angkor Wat, their bright orange robes making a vivid contrast with the grey stone of the temple.

To learn even more about Angkor Wat go to http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cambodia/angkor-wat

Our visit was a bit more hurried than I would have preferred but being the bus leader I didn’t feel appropriate leaving the group and tour guide to do my own exploring. It was back on the bus and off to the airport where we had a little drama that I really can't write about but resulted in a student being sent home. When we made it back to the ship I helped with the return process of my trip and one that arrived soon after mine, purchased a few things from the vendors stationed outside the ship and called it a night.

Cambodia Part 1

2009-11-17T04:01:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure if Semester At Sea usually welcomes parents to join their student for a trip or if it was because of low student numbers but none-the-less I was the bus leader for the student/parent trip to Cambodia. I had my hesitations- how will the parents be; will they give me problems, what will the student response be... I am happy to report that it all turned out quiet well as far as the parents go.

We took a flight from Saigon to Phnom Penh, the capitol of Cambodia where upon arrival we had to purchase visas for $20.00. Now, we were told about this fact since the day we signed up for the trip and over and over again since then but one of our students still had to stop at an ATM in the airport to get the money. For some reason the machine said it gave her the money but she did not actually get any. She immediately got on the phone with her bank…blah blah, blah, delay. Another student lost his wallet between the first airport and the second airport, he ran back to the plane and couldn’t find it…blah blah blah, another delay. His mom was on the trip so I made sure they had our itinerary and a phone number of the tour company and we left them as we were already late and chopping things from our itinerary as the moments passed. I was plenty annoyed and our trip was just beginning.

Our first stop was to an orphanage and school home to 93 children started by a SAS alumni home to 93 children. The students performed two dances for us and gave us tours of the facility.
From there we took a sunset cruise on the Mekong River I got to talk with a few of the parents and they were impressed with my experiences on and off the ship and very envious of the opportunity to work for SAS. Sailing along the river the skyline of Phnom Penh showed the changes the country has gone through over the past years with traditional Buddhist temples next the flashing lights of the casino (while it is illegal for Cambodians to gamble tourism keeps the casinos very busy according to our guide). We enjoyed a traditional Cambodian dinner before going to our hotel to relax for the rest of the evening. The student who lost his wallet never found it but luckily still had his passport so the kid and his mother made their way to the hotel and left a message for me that they would join us the next day.

The next morning started early as many had before as we prepared for a heavy morning of historical tours. The Toul Sleng Museum, a former high school which was used as the
notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. It was converted into a prison and interrogation center. The classrooms were converted into tiny prison and torture chambers, and all windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to prevent escapes. Only 7 people survived S-21, one of whom was there while we visited.

We then went to the killing fields where the Khmer Rouge executed at least 200,000 people following the end of the Vietnam War. A 17-story memorial has been built in the center of the field where skulls of the victims can be seen. Our guide told us that as the rains occur over the years the bones and clothing of those buried are exposed. We could see partially exposed clothing in multiple areas around the fields and while I questioned if it was actually the clothing of the victims from 30 years ago it still served as a powerful visual. Many of the parents on the trip who said they were going to school during Vietnam War said they never knew about the situation going on in Cambodia.

With heavy hearts and more questions than answers we continued our day visiting the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace where the King of Cambodia currently lives. The grounds are pretty expansive and have about 20 different buildings in all. The architecture was beautiful and intricate. Following lunch and a little free time to explore the surrounding markets we made one last stop in Phnom Penh at the National Museum before going to the airport to fly to Siem Reap.

With a very quick flight we made it to Angkor Wat just before the sun went down.
I ran into two other staff members who were there independently and it was a nice breath of fresh air to see some friends if even for a short moment before jumping back into bus leader mode assisting a student with night blindness make his way through the quickly darkening and tricky stairwells and doorways. I have to admit my excitement for a number of the places I have visited directly comes from seeing them on The Amazing Race (an around the world scavenger hunt type reality TV show) and Angkor Wat was one of them. I was excited to further explore and learn more the next day.

We were off to dinner buffet and ‘cultural dance show’ that was a total tourist trap and reminded me of a show at Disneyland minus the casts’ ability to fake their interest in what they were doing. The food was ok and the show was less than great. Luckily after dinner we checked into a wonderful resort and spa for the evening where I got a great nights sleep.

Vietnam Day 1

2009-11-09T00:33:00.000-08:00

Our approach to Ho Chi Minh City began as we entered the mouth of the Saigon River. A three hour trip up the twisting and often thin waterway was an experience not too many people have. We passed small villages and single homes along the banks of the river, plenty of small fishing boats and came far too close for my comfort to other large vessels making their back out to sea. I began the morning as usual with sunrise but in honor of our trip up the Saigon River one of my coworkers and her husband who happens to be a faculty member and on the SAS Board of Trustees invited us to their top floor private balcony for coffee and pastries. It was a good time to hang out with some of the team who usually doesn’t get up for the entry into the port. Before too long the LLCs were put to work as the MV Explorer pulled into the port passing out passports and landing cards to all passengers. When we finally had a chance to look outside we saw the excited parents and loved ones that would be joining the SAS Cambodia trip and others. Many of our staff had partners and spouses joining us for the port or some for even longer. Two of the children on board were welcoming their other parent aboard so the energy was high and even those of us not expecting any visitors were excited for the others.

It was almost 11:30 before the ship was cleared so after a quick lunch on board I met up with a crew of the Living Learning Team and as usual went out into town. Most of them were on a mission to get some custom made suits and dresses. I too had that plan until a few days prior when I agreed to be a trip leader for a trip on our last day not really thinking about it. DANG!

Anyway, trying to cross the street in Vietnam is an art form. We were well prepped by our interport students as well as some fellow passengers who have spent time in Vietnam but hearing about it and doing it is a very different thing. The city is a scooter/motor cycle town, looking down the streets is like looking at a wall of bikes and you are just walk out into the street and let them go around you. Don’t run, don’t stop walking, just walk at a regular pace and go with it. We must have crossed busy streets about 2 dozen times and while I did get easier I would not say it was something I was totally comfortable with.

We walked through the market place and like many of the markets I have now experienced around the world it was a sensory overload. As expected there was plenty of knock-off stuff; North Face, DVDs, purses, sunglasses etc. Walking through the food market was a challenge as I held my breath and surely looked like a deer in headlights as I saw a mesh bag full of frogs jumping about, large platters of fish, squid and things I have never seen before or want to see again.
Making our way out the other side we began to find the tailors and the group began their process. It was a lengthy process but cool to see them picking out fabric, pulling out pictures of what they liked, getting sized and returning a few hours later to see the garment take shape.

A, G and I went for massages while the rest of the group went to the history museum (sorry Dad and Cormac). I was the first person to be taken upstairs and I noticed that all three massage tables were in one large room. The masseuse told me to undress and lay down. It was only then that I noticed hospital like curtains pushed against the walls, she pulled them out and closed my bed in. A few moments later I heard A and G join me on the other side of the curtains and I just had to fight back the giggles. The massage was enjoyable over all but she was a bit hard on my neck and I was a bit sore and bruised the next day but $10.00 for an hour massage was worth it.

Feeling relaxed but hungry we made our way to a restaurant at one of the hotels but stopped at a street vendor on the way for corn on the cob. Of course with my food issues I didn’t buy one but after getting good reviews from A & G I was happy to help A eat hers. G chose the restaurant based on the size of the wine classes he noticed when we walked by earlier in the evening. Its no surprise that G and I get along wonderfully. While I’m not entirely sure what I had at this point I do remember that everything was excellent especially the company.

To the Taj and back again

2009-11-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

My journey to the Taj Mahal began when my alarm went off at 3:00am, breakfast at 3:30 and our buses leaving for the airport at 4:00am. For all of the SAS flights we tell participants to only bring a carry on bag so we don’t have to check bags – it makes things so much easier when traveling with 64 people. However here in India you cannot bring batteries on the plane, much like liquids over 3oz in the US so the field office provided us with a bunch of small zip lock bags and the tour company gave us a duffel bag with a lock on it and that one bag gets checked. As we loaded the bus our tour company also told us we had to check all liquids and gels. On the way to the airport I passed out the bags and collected everyone’s items to be distributed once we got to New Delhi. The flight was fine, most of us slept the 2.5 hours and after a very nerve wracking few spins of the luggage carousel our duffels of batteries and toiletries came my way.

On to the buses we met our guide and had a tour of Old Delhi and The Red Fort, a world heritage site. Located in the walled city of Delhi, Mughal Emperor Shahjahan started construction of the massive fort in 1638 and work was completed in 1648. It was the residence of the royal family and only became open to the public in 2003. It was pretty crowded with school groups and as has been common along our journey, we watched the locals as the locals watched us right back. The entire place was beautiful and the detail in the stonework was simply amazing.

Before we knew it we were rushed to the train station for our ride to Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. We arrived to the station stepping around trash, people sleeping, dogs, and the occasional cow. The station is a very far cry from Grand Central. The train that left as we arrived was overflowing with people. Think of Slumdog Millionaire. Our train was two hours late so some of the group went to a small store to get snacks on another platform while I stayed with the rest of the group just watching the people go about their business.

Beggars in the train station were worse than anywhere else, maybe because we were a sitting target with no place to go. At this point in the journey we have gotten pretty good in dealing with them but now and then when the beggars are extra persistent we lost our patience and were less than polite in telling them to leave. Seeing the children was the worst part. We had been told that similarly to as was seen in Slumdog Millionaire that children are often working for a ringleader. Having plenty of time at the station we actually saw this happening and it was pretty difficult to watch. Some of our students tried to give the children food instead of money and when the children took it back to the older man he yelled at them, hit them and pushed them back towards the crowds. Our tour guide spoke to a child at one point and when we asked what he said he told us that he offered to give the child money to go to school and the child said he didn’t want it. Our train finally arrived and we quickly took refuge in the calm and quiet cars. With a late arrival to our hotel some of the group went right to bed other still wanted to eat the dinner they had waiting for us.

The following morning we were up at 5:30 to watch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Arriving to the west gate there were only about 30 people in front of us while the line behind us seemed to grow by tens of people eveny second. With Gumby in my pocket I passed through the gates only to have Gumby confiscated by security, ‘No Toys’ I was told. I was nervous that I would be saying “…and that’s how I lost my world traveling Gumby” but it all ended well as I got him back as I exited.

Being at the Taj for sunrise was just wild. It was empty compared to what it was like when we returned for sunset that afternoon and. Like many of the group, I was unaware of the gardens and other buildings that surrounded the Taj itself. Walking the grounds trying to capture the grandeur of it all with my camera was daunting. After a little while I just sat down and tried to take it all in before we were taken back to the hotel for breakfast.

We had tour of another world heritage site, Fatehpur Sikri, a historical city constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear. Following lunch we walked through the Agra Fort, also known as the Red Fort from where we could see the Taj in the distance. It is the most important fort in India and served as the home for many of its leaders. I was distracted most of the time as I was working on Cormac and Mary’s congratulations sign.

Going back to the Taj for sunset like entering a mad house, the serenity of the morning was long gone and the swarms of people had arrived. This time however, Gumby joined us thanks to one of my student smuggling him in. With a few more photos it was time to head back to the train station. This time we were on the express train and I was sitting between to Indian gentlemen, one of whom had a bad cold with a consistent rattling cough. I did my best to sleep with little luck.

Our hotel back in New Delhi was a 5 star oasis. I have to say it was difficult to be staying in such a beautiful place, a somewhat fake world that was completely opposite of the world just outside our window. I had my own room again and did a little happy dance as I walked in and saw the wonderful space I would be living in for the evening. I took a quick shower and made my way down to the bar to unwind with a fellow staff member and a few life long learners. Unfortunately I learned that my debit card had been shut off because of a severe compromise – a mess that I am still working to fix.

Our last day included more tours of New Dehli at which point I was just ready to get back to the ship and relax. The flight back to Chennai was fine, again we had to check our batteries and liquids and we made our way back to the ship around 11:30pm to a late dinner that the crew had made for us. They are wonderful.

Incredible India Day 1

2009-10-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

Throughout the voyage returning passengers have told us of the struggle that is India. That the port is dirty, the city is dirty, the officials make our visit difficult, shop owners jack up prices and cab drivers try to scam us. My supervisor the dean of students used the phrase “Prepare to have your senses assaulted.” I did hear some positives as well. One of my favorite shipmates, Tonya has traveled to India a fair amount and her husband is Indian. She told us about the great food, the kind people and the beauty that India has to offer. I tried my best to have an open mind.

In the days leading up to our arrival the staff was debriefed on the situation of the port: singing in and out every time we left the port gates, nearly 150 Indian officials boarding the ship and eating, sleeping, living, working from the ship for our 5 day stay, armed guards at the base of the gangway, face-to-face verification of all passengers and crew members by Indian customs before our departure…the list seemed to go on and on. Again, I tried my best to have an open mind.

The morning of our arrival we went out for sunrise we had a slightly larger group than normal to send off Tonya, she would be leaving us to visit her family in Northern India and then head back home to NYC. The pollution in the air made it difficult to see the sun for a while but suddenly over the layer of smog and soot the sun began to appear and our first day in India began.

The LLC team took to our stations, passing out shore passes, customs forms and a copy of passports. Students were eager to begin their adventures, going to the Taj Mahal, 3 day Yoga workshops, visiting Dalit villages and more but to be honest I was not so excited. My lungs were already feeling the smoke and dirt in the air and my eyes were burning slightly. I was trying my best to put on a happy face for our students.

A group of us were heading to do some shopping so we got in a taxi just off the gangway and made our way to the port gates. We began to see groups of students walking back to the ship and we were curious as to what was going on. The story that follows could have developed into an international security and safety situation. For the continued safety of all involved I will wait to share the story until we are safety planted back on US soil. (OK its not THAT crazy, but we were a bit sketchy so you’ll have to wait for the full story) Driving away we were thankful that everything turned ok and acknowledged that it could have been a bad situation.

Sounding like a broken record, the traffic in Chennai was crazy. Rickshaws were everywhere and could often be seen driving on the wrong side of the road. The sidewalks were covered with merchants, trash and dogs so for the most part people had to walk in the street. Approaching round-abouts was like a test of courage and faith just hoping that the direction we were going would work out and that the people coming towards us would make way. I very quickly decided that I never wanted to drive in India. It occurred to me that I have not driven a car in about 70 days and wouldn’t for another 45.

We got out of the taxi and walked to a hotel to ask for directions. The big name hotels are like a strange oasis among the squalor. Behind high walls the dirt, traffic, and smell of India disappear. Inside the hotel was like stepping into a different world. The female staff dressed in beautiful saris, the men in suits welcomed us. We had initially only intended to ask for directions but decided to stay for lunch and it was well worth it. We were the first ones in the restaurant and the waiter pretty much ordered for us; chicken, duck, shrimp, all kinds of spices and chutney and of course plenty of bread. AB and I asked for some not so spicy options and he was wonderful bringing us plain white rice and yogurt to calm down any of the food that was a bit much for us. We spent nearly two hours enjoying conversation and the amazing food before venturing back out into the bustling city to do some shopping.

We went to one large store where the ladies shopped for a few saris and I fell asleep standing up waiting for them. Feeling refreshed, I continued with the group as we walked about a mile to an outdoor market area. There were plenty of shops and opportunities to get gifts and anything ‘India’. As our supervisor had prepared us for, it was a bit of a sensory overload. The different smells, different languages being shouted around us, total visual over stimulation with all the fabrics, jewelry, food, people, and traffic got old after a while and I chose to head back to the ship for a free dinner and to pack for my trip to the Taj leaving the next day.

I took a rickshaw by myself and hoped for the best. The driver was very kind and pointed out things along the way, the cricket stadium, the shopping malls and the University of Madras. We maneuvered between other rickshaws, buses, trucks, and cars with ease on his part and total fear on my part. At times we were so close to other rickshaws I felt as though the passengers next to me were actually sharing the same rickshaw. Having been told that sometimes the drivers will not take you where you want and then make you pay more to actually get to your location I was a bit nervous until I saw the port gates. I signed back in with the port agents and walked about a half-mile back the quiet comfort of the ship.

Yahoo!

2009-10-27T00:37:00.001-07:00

My brother Cormac and his girlfriend Mary got engaged!

Mauritius

2009-10-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

On October 15th we arrived in Mauritius, a small island the size of Rhode Island near Madagascar for a quick three-day visit. Mauritius was our Spring Break port. Most of our students rented villas on different areas of the island, the majority of the SAS trips were more about fun than education and our deans plan was to play 4 rounds of golf.

It was our earliest sunrise yet but I am a creature of habit so out I went. I did however go back to bed and didn’t bother watch our entry into the port. The first day a group of us went to “the best Chinese restaurant in Mauritius" I however was hungry before we got there and in a moment of weakness enjoyed McDonald’s. Okay- give me a break, we were about 50 days in and I just wanted some comfort food and a Big Mac fries and a coke filled the void. I still tried some of the food at 'First Restaurant' but was not so impressed.

My colleagues and I walked the markets of down town and through china town buying our postcards, t-shirts, magnets and wine. Side note – I got an e-mail from my mom (the cute little Irish woman) telling me not to drink too much and that my Octobeard needs some fertilizer. Don’t worry mom, I didn’t even buy any this time. In our walk about town we found a little shop that I was very excited about. We went back to the ship for dinner and I just had a relaxing and quiet night on the ship doing some journaling.

The second day I was a trip leader for a trip to the Adventure Park and Flick en Flack beach. Because of the large number of us they split us up, some going to the park first then the beach and vise versa. I had wanted to go to the park first but the bus leader had already left in the second bus to go to the park so I didn’t want to send a group of students without a staff member. While I was a bit disappointed as first it really worked out in my favor as I only had 8 students and the other staff member had over 40.

The beach was fine, nothing amazing but not a bad way to spend an hour. The Adventure Park was basically a ropes course through an angry swarm of mosquitos, luckliy the first group warned us so we swam in bug spray first. It was also a bit more intense than we had anticipated. It started with a collection of bridges that got progressively trickier – missing planks, no handrails etc. The real challenge began, rope nets, log sings, zip lines, net tunnels... There were some mild injuries and many of us were sore the days following. I don’t have any pictures of me, but once I get some from the students in my group I’ll post a few. I am sure there is at least one of me upside-down tangled up in some ropes. Awesome.

I was on duty that night and learned that when a student comes back pretty intoxicated we put them in the showers out by the pool. This student was kicked out of a bar and then fell in the street and some other SAS student who didn’t even really know her brought her back because her friends stayed in the bar! The nurse on call told us to take to her to pool deck and as the student couldn’t stand on her own, I made a quick stop in my room to put on my swim suit and proceeded to hold up this young lady in the shower. I'm pretty sure I did not read that in my job description. Over all the night was not a difficult one but I was up pretty late dealing with the student and writing the report.

I didn’t wake up the next day until noon and had to be back on the ship at 6:00 so my idea of going to the beach on the other side of the island was shot, but I was not that disappointed. I just walked around town again, had some nachos and watched people set up for the start of Diwali, The Hindu festival of lights that evening. It was then back to the ship to welcome students back for our next crossing to India. As we set sail the fireworks began and while it would have been amazing to celebrate with the people of Mauritius it was equally as cool to see the celebration as we sailed away.

India, here I come.
Cheers,
P

Octobeard The Halfway Point

2009-10-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well ladies and gentlemen October is half over and my octobeard is looking good. For your viewing pleasure.

The last day in Cape Town

2009-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

My last day in South Africa took me to new heights. After a few cool and cloudy days Table Mountain finally showed its top again and I was going to get up there. I had a quick breakfast and saw B and invited her to join G and I. So with my smuggled PB&Js we were off. This hike is best described as a 90-minute Stairmaster work out on crack. The path is well maintained and tries to be hiker friendly but I was taking steps almost waist high.

It was wonderful having a nice physically active day just before we were about to board the ship for another 6-day journey to Mauritius. The views were beautiful all the way and we stopped often to take the opportunity for photos. G was making great time and was a fair bit ahead of us prompting me to call him a mountain goat. I have since learned that the space between us was merely a self-preservation technique. You see, like the big bad wolf G huffs and puffs as he hikes. He didn’t want us to know, but he later told us and now I’m telling you. You’re welcome.

With G far ahead B and I enjoyed the hike we shared. B has worked at UCLA for the past number of years so we laughingly compared this to hiking Runyan Canyon where you can often find the Housewife of the Hollywood Hills walking with their Starbucks or Red Bulls in hand and cell phones firmly planted on the side of their face. We passed a fair number of groups (which being rather competitive always makes me feel good about myself) but must admit this uber couple that G still curses to this day smoked us. I had asked G to stop for a photo and he maintains that it is for this reason and this reason alone that the couple passed him.

Once to the top a chill was indeed in the air and the clouds were beginning to roll in. I was happy I had my running tights on and quickly pulled my running gloves out of my bag. Some students we saw on top who were very cold were impressed and jealous of my degree of preparedness. (I owe that to my dad). We stopped in the café to get a coffee, eat our sandwiches and warm up a bit before taking a few more photos and looking at some of the educational stuff.

Not long after we climbed into the cable car to ride down the mountain and found our way back to the waterfront. In my final hours I made yet another visit to the mall to pick up a few last things before meeting the staff to work re-embarkation. As we had been prepared for, many of our students took advantage of the tourist friendly port and local bars to indulge in a few final drinks before re-boarding which provided a fair number of laughs and eye rolls as students stumbled up the gangway. With a smile on my face I encouraged them to go have some dinner and sadly our time in South Africa came to an end.

I was sad to leave but I am confident that I will return to South Africa again. In my journeys so far I am more and more tempted to move abroad and become an ex-patriot. At this point Cape Town is on the top of my list.

Cheers,
P

You should be in pictures!

2009-10-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

I forgot about this until I was looking in my desk drawer this morning! While E, G, and I were at the bar one night this woman whose name we later learned is Irene asked me if I was a model and said I look like some actor whom I have never been compared to before and I kindly said no, but thank you. I didn’t pay much attention to her but enjoyed the complement none the less. In my incessant people watching Irene and I made eye contact a number of times. A short time later she came across the bar and said “I had it wrong – you look like Keanu Reeves” a comparison I have gotten on a few occasions. She again asked me if I was a model and I said no. She looked to E and G and asked if we were locals and I shook my head and said that I live in Los Angeles. Her eyes lit up and went into her purse and gave me her card and told me to send her some pictures if I was interested.

I know how pompous this sounds but this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened. It is however one of the more legit situations where its not a modeling school looking for me to pay them, or some sketchy guy at a fashion show in SF who said his friend has a clothing line who needs models and then stalks me for a year (but that’s another story). Should I send Irene a few photos and tell her I’ll be back in LA in December?

Cape Town Day 5

2009-10-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Our last full day in Africa was pretty low key. It had been a full few days prior of late nights and really early mornings so I spent time cleaning my cabin and getting my life back in order before going out to the waterfront again. Doing some shopping, sitting at a café having a GREAT bowl of soup and watching people go by and writing out a few postcards.

I have gotten to the point in the voyage where I could really use a weekend. Don’t get me wrong, my job is pretty easy and my days are not difficult but sometimes you just need a day or two to be in your apartment to watch some TV, catch up on personal e-mails, make some phone calls and the such. Well on the ship you are either working or in port. The ship is a totally different place while in port- as it should be. It is calm and quiet (and the internet is much faster) but I feel guilty not spending every moment I have off the ship. Anyway, that morning I made peace with it and allowed myself the opportunity to sleep in and get a few things done. Oh! It was also a bit cold and rainy that day so that only played into my 'stay in my cabin' mood.

I tried to rally the troops to go out that night for our last night in Cape Town but the troops were weary and we had plans to hike Table Mountain the next day so I was asleep a bit before 10pm. I think my body was trying to tell me something.

Kruger 3 day Safari

2009-10-11T04:29:00.000-07:00

One of the SAS trips I was most looking forward to was the 3-day safari. Our group of 40 couldn’t all get on the same flight so we were split between a 6:30am departure and an 8:30am departure. I was pleased that I was on the 8:30 flight until I got a call from our field office coordinator at 6:29 telling me that the travel agent made a mistake and I was only the early flight and that I needed to be on the bus in 3 minuets. Seriously! I had packed before going to the bar the evening prior but some of the other 5 students who got the same early call were not so lucky. One student on my jeep ended up only have shorts and t-shirts- and it got pretty cool at times. I think he learned to pack the night before.

After my heart rate returned to normal and I was on the bus to the airport I was excited for our adventure to begin. We had a short layover in Johannesburg before making our way to Nelspruit, in northeastern South Africa. Our layover in J-burg allowed the late group on a direct flight to arrive in Nelsrpuit just moments before us. We all got on the bus and made way to our hotel, the Sabi River Sun Resort which was amazing. After getting situated we climbed into our safari jeeps and made the short drive to the Kruger National Park for our sunset safari

Kruger is the largest game reserve in South Africa covering 7,332 sq miles from north to south and 37 miles from east to west. All the Big Five game animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of mammals than any other African Game Reserve.
As of 2009, the park has counted approximately:
27,000 African Buffalo
350 African Hunting Dogs
350 Black Rhinoceros
4,509 White Rhinoceros
17,797 Burchell's Zebras
500 Bushbucks
200 Cheetahs
300 Common Eland
5,114 Giraffes
5,798 Greater Kudus
3,000 Hippopotamus
1,500 Lions
1,000 Leopards
2,000 Spotted Hyenas
11,672 Elephants
5,000 Waterbuck
9,612 Blue Wildebeest
90,000 Impalas

While I can’t say that I saw all of the animals I am pretty sure I saw all 90,000 impalas. When we began our driver joked that he couldn’t guarantee that we’ll see any animals besides the impalas and we quickly figured out why. They were everywhere. They were the first animal we saw and appropriately so we were very excited but by the end of the three days the impala received no love from my jeep.

The first sunset safari was great and we saw most of the big 5, including a lioness sitting on a rock in the sun. One of the ship psychologists was in my jeep with me and the students were a good bunch. We had a great time and laughed a lot along the way. Getting back to our hotel for dinner we were spoiled with an amazing BBQ and complementary drinks. Some of the students and I watched the soccer games and enjoyed some South African beer before calling it a night. I took a few moments to go outside look up at the clear sky and full moon and as I tried to soak in the experience that I may never have again. Like many times already on this journey I asked ‘what is my life? How fortunate am I?!” I went back to my room and made a few brief phone calls to folks back in the states and fell asleep after an incredible day.

While not trying to disregard the great experience the next day and a half were more of the same, driving through the park, seeing amazing animals and beautiful vistas. One of the highlights of day two was seeing a pack of lions feeding on something they had just killed. While it was rather gruesome as we could hear the lioness ripping the muscle and hide and the breaking of bones of her lunch it was truly intriguing to see animals surviving, as they only know how. Sad to leave but excited to further explore Cape Town we left the hotel and made our way back to the airport for our flight back. I took over 200 photos so i'll share a few of them here with any more on facebook.

The early morning proved to be a challenge for our group so we took turns sleeping between animal sightings

While the impala is a pretty animal, they were everywhere and we lost interest in them just as much as they did of us.
Hi monkey!

South Africa: Octo-beard and Day 1

2009-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Before I begin my story of South Africa, I must first welcome you all to October. With October upon us I have decided not to shave for the month and in doing such I am growing an Octo-beard. I’ll be giving updates all month long. (As if I didn’t say enough in my blogs already)

Ok- down to the business at hand:

Amazing, beautiful, wonderful, what else can I say about our arrival to South Africa. If you have been reading along by now you know the drill: wake up early, meet A and E and wait for the sun to rise and our arrival into XYZ port. This time we had a lot of students join us and to be honest I was a little bitter, as if the three of us owned the sun rise experience and the rest of the people joining us are only doing it because they heard how amazing the arrival into Cape Town was. (I’m working with our shipboard psychologist to get over my issues but I am not there yet.)

Anyway, like I said it was beautiful. With a cheer from the students the sun quickly rose and South Africa began its day. We passed Robben Island where Nelson Mandela served his jail sentence; we could see Table Mountain and the soccer stadium, which will hold the World Cup next year. Our arrival into the V&A Waterfront Port was great. No more shuttles or mile walks to the port gates, no more cargo ships next to us. We were literally docked outside a mall and I have the credit card bill to prove it.

The first day I walked the waterfront with A, E, and G checking out the mall, listening to street musicians, buying souvenirs and researching the great South African wine we would enjoy over the next few days and weeks. Now, we have reached the point in the journey where I have begun to miss some things and all week I had been saying how I wanted nachos, so imagine my joy when a group of us went to dinner and they had nachos on the menu! It was a magical experience. The group of us had a great time as usual, loving our first dinner off the ship after a long voyage from Ghana.

After dinner E, G, and I went out to a hookah bar and sure enough our ‘grown ups’ evening was crashed by a group of students as we heard our names screamed from across the bar. Remember the feelings of seeing your third grade teacher outside of school for the first time. It’s like that the first time students see us off the ship in every port. We said ‘Hello’ then tried our best to ignore them and carry on with our conversation and hookah. A while later the students left and we soon did as well, heading for another bar a few blocks away.

The second bar was fun but it didn’t take long to realize that this time, we had come across our students. At that point we threw caution to the wind and knew that we couldn’t win. We danced with them a bit and enjoyed our drinks responsibly while encouraging them to do the same. E, G, and I made our rounds checking out the different levels of the bar and chatted with some locals up on the rooftop patio before I had to surrender for the evening because, you guessed it, I had an early start the next morning.

A Military Escort

2009-10-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

For our last day in Ghana I went back into town for lunch and shopping with Ana. The street vendors figured us out very quickly and asked Ana and I if we were from the ship. They told us that many students had purchased things from them and that they would even give us ‘last day deals.’ I bought a few small items but was saying ‘No, thank you’ much more than ‘Yes, please.’ While we had stopped for lunch the sky opened up and a short but heavy rain storm passed through prompting Ana and I to enjoy our spicy chicken sandwich and cokes at a very slow and casual pace.

The rain passed and we continued with our shopping before getting in a cab to take us to the grocery store and post office. The drive was another exercise in faith and fear; a number of the roads had turned into rivers and at best were dotted with small lakes. The cab driver was great and while he did have to ask where the grocery store was multiple times he was patient as I ran in to purchase my two bottles of wine. Going into the grocery store alone was a neat experience and being the only white person in there made it even more so.

Upon reaching the port gate the cab driver could go no further. So Ana and I got out walked through the gates and proceeded to look for the SAS shuttle from the gate to dock 11 where the ship was. Realizing that we had come in a different gate than normal I was prepared to walk but Ana started to ask around as to where we got the shuttle. Various gentlemen in military uniform said they didn’t know anything about a shuttle. Ana explained that we were on the Semester At Sea ship and that we had a shuttle from the gate to the ship. We were passed off to a few different people. "Oh, the tourist vessel" we heard in reply.

We were told to stay where we were and some time later a cab was brought in for us. We told the guy that we were not going to pay a cab and asked if we could just walk to the ship. After a slight hesitation he finally gave us the 'okay' and we began the mile walk to dock 11. While we received many inquiring glances as we did not have a reflective vest on and clearly didn't belong there we just kept walking making way for semi trucks and other equipment. Along the way we were happy to find a duty fee shop and used the opportunity to spend the rest of our cedi. Ana got some chocolate and I got a case of coke. Feeling inspired by the culture and more so my weak arms, I chose to carry my soda on my head.

Overall I was pleasently surprised by my time in Ghana. I really didn't know what to expect so maybe that helped. As our interport student told us, the Ghanaians are very friendly. From tour guides and children, to street vendors and waiters everyone had a wonderful smile on their face and was happy to help. Of the three ports so far I think Ghana would be for first place that I would return to.

The next day we crossed the equator and had a big ceremony to mark to occasion but I'll save that story for next time.

Cape Town here we come!
Cheers,
P

Vlota Eco-Adventure Part 2

2009-09-30T01:14:00.000-07:00

Following a day of hiking and waterfalls we went to Tafi Atome, a village that has created a tourist attraction and thus economic support for itself thanks to the monkeys that live there. Before we went on our monkey hike we walked to a school just across a small field where with the help of Sam our amazing guide we sang our Ewe song for the students and after the first time through the song the students joined us. Not so surprisingly this was one of the greatest moments of the tip for me and even writing about it gives me goose bumps.

We went on our way allowing the students to get back to class. With just a short walk into the forest monkeys came right to us and took bananas out of our hands. If we held on tight enough the monkey would just peal the banana and take a chunk of it before climbing back up in the tree and enjoying the snack. It was a lot of fun and the students got some great pictures.

Walking out of the forest we went through the village where we saw two men making kente cloth. It was interesting to watch and the long strings come together to make beautiful patterns. Back where we started we once again came to the school allowing for great interactions with the young people of the community. We learned that school age girls all must shave their head and keep their hair short, a way to level the economic playing field in the school via hair care methods. Additionally the students wore uniforms. With that it was back on the bus to begin the journey back to the ship. We stopped for a nice lunch and made it home problem free.

That evening I went into town with Shira, one of the psychologists on the ship. We had a great time walking around town looking at the shops, having a drink and dinner. While having drinks a man in a wheel chair approached us trying to sell jewelry. We spoke for some time and told him about the ship and that he should go to our shuttle point where students were being dropped off every hour. I saw him the next day and he remembered me and thanked me for the suggestion saying that he sold a lot of items to the students.

Accra is not a normal cruise ship destination but SAS is not a normal cruise ship. I heard that the arrival of our ship brought the largest number of white people that Accra had ever seen at any one time . While I don’t know the validity of that nugget of information it is interesting to consider.

Volta Eco-adventure part 1: A crappy situation.

2009-09-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning was another early start as we boarded our bus heading to the Volta Region for an eco-adventure tour. While the bus ride was longer than anticipated I was on the small 15-passenger van as opposed to the other 50-passenger bus and our guide Sam was amazing. He taught us a handful of words in Ewe (one of the many different languages of Ghana, although English is the national language, a result of being colonized by the British) as well as a traditional song. On our way to Mount Afagjato, we stopped at a small village while the large bus stopped someplace to pick up our boxed lunches. The village was exactly what I felt I had missed out on in Morocco, a genuine cultural interaction. Curious children walked up the hill to greet us and slowly the adults joined as well inviting us down to see their small fishing village along side the river. Children ran around and some almost jumping into our arms along the way. The children loved having their pictures taken and seeing it after.

A short time later we were back on the bus approaching the location of our hike. The rainy season has just ended in Ghana and the dirt roads show the damage of the season. While our driver Moufaw was excellent we got stuck in the mud at one point so we all had to jump out and help push. The large bus behind us seemed to unload as well with fellow SASers taking pictures and offering their pushing power. With a few strong “Heave Ho’s’ we were out and without any damage besides one very muddy shoe (not my own). The situation was a fun part of the adventure and actually served as a nice team builder for us (Yea, I said it)

Not long after we arrived to Mount Afadjato we realized that the hike was more strenuous than we were anticipating. The field guide description only said “climb to the highest point of Ghana, without the need for climbing gear.” Ok, so maybe gear was not need but rope handrails were provided in multiple locations. A number of our students struggled and I heard one student who was not wearing appropriate shoes say that she didn’t even know we were hiking. I wanted to punch her in the face, but more on her later. At that point I was very thankful for the fact that we did not have any life long learners on our trip. It was pretty hot and most of us worked up a very good sweat by the end of it. Taking my time to support the students who were struggling along the way I had to check my ego as I finally reached the summit and students were congratulating us for finally making it up and some already on their way back down.

The view was nice and in the distance we could see the waterfall that we would soon be standing under. On the way down I had some nice conversation with Bridget and MacGarret, two other LLCs about our next job opportunities and our experience so far on the voyage. The student who wore the bad shoes had some trouble as her body fought back against the lunch she had eaten. While we hiked a bit down the mountain to give her space to take care of things she yelled down to us “Can we keep this a secret?” As didn’t respond to her request I don’t feel guilty sharing this story but don’t tell anyone I told you.

When I thought the hike could not get anymore amusing the guide’s cell phone began to ring. His ring tone, My Heart Will Go On, and no it was not just cheap digital ringtone, it was the Celine Dion Oscar winning, downloaded ring tone. 1- I was amazed that he has service in the middle of nowhere Ghana and 2 – this huge Ghanaian brick house of a guy actually had My Heart Will Go On for his ring tone! MacGarret and I were fighting back the laughs so much so that we almost faced the same ugly fate as our previously mentioned student.

Back on the bus and after a short drive to the waterfall we had another 45min walk through the Agumatsa Forest Reserve to the Wli Waterfalls. Bridget and I again found our way at the back of our group and took our time taking photos and having great conversations along the way. When we finally made it to the falls the students were already making the most of it, climbing the rocks and standing under the 1,600 foot falls. It was a wild experience walking backwards into a waterfall while shielding my eyes trying to keep any visibility I could. The spray was hitting me with quite a bit of force and felt like I was being sand blasted. Some compared it to being in a hurricane or a monsoon but it seemed that everyone agreed that it was a great way to cool down after the hot and exhausting hike.

Back to the bus one last time on our way to the hotel, day quickly turned to night as being so close to the equator they don’t have any day light savings time business. The sun rises around 6am and sets around 6pm, no ifs and or buts about it. Without fail I existed someplace between asleep and barely coherent on the bus ride. We finally arrived to our hotel and had dinner much later than expected but it was a great meal. I spent sometime journaling and watching BBC world news before falling asleep after a great day.

Ghana, who knew?!

2009-09-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

After leaving Morocco a week prior and sailing down the coast of Africa the MV Explorer approached Ghana Tuesday morning. As per usual Ana, Eddie and I met in the faculty lounge to welcome the sunrise as we approached our new city. Similar to Morocco the weather was not on our side. When we stepped outside at 5:40am we were met with a wall of fog, we could not even see the water in front on the ship. We went back inside and waited for the morning coffee and tea service as a few other staff members joined us.Slowly the fog burned off and we could see the sun already making its way overhead although we could not yet see the city.

As the ship made progress and land came into view the number of students, faculty and staff increased. Our inter-port student Nii was with us and as we approached, he was looking at his home country from the sea for the first time and he had tears in his eyes. Captain Jeremy worked his way through a mess of cargo ships and fishing boats when suddenly we took a sharp turn and went back out to sea. We actually circled three times and I said that Captain Jeremy was just doing donuts in the parking lot. Over breakfast many jokes were heard about what a great time we had in Ghana, how time seemed to go by so quickly and that we had forgotten to let our student and faculty guests from Ghana get off the ship. Finally almost two hours late we finally made it to the port. It was another industrial port, similar to Morocco and it was less than welcoming.

That afternoon I took a SAS city tour and enjoyed myself quite a bit. We saw a lot of the big landmarks in Accra including the memorial for Ghana’s first president and the one time home and now museum for W.E.B. Dubois, the founder of the NAACP.
President Obama visited Accra not too long ago and a handful of welcome billboards were still up around town. We saw the outdoor venue where Obama spoke at which is not far from the football (soccer) stadium. The memorial for the first president Nkrumah is pretty impressive. His grave is in a structure that represents a tree trunk symbolizing the life of Nkrymah that was cut short. The W.E.B. Dubois home featured a number of his artifacts and mementos of his wide array of accomplishments.

Traffic in Accra while not quite as challenging as I found Casablanca’s was still a sight to see. Unlike the scooters, bikes, and occasional horse carriages of Casablanca, Accra was much more vehicle heavy. Cabs seemed to rule the city. Marked with yellow corner panels, they didn’t seem concerned with traffic lanes or leaving a safe space between cars. It was do what ever you needed to do to get where you were going. I would never survive driving there. Before returning to the ship we made a short visit to a market area to allow for some shopping. Upon my return to the ship I joined some of my colleagues for a very amusing dinner where we processed our first day in Ghana and then it was off to bed early preparing for a long two days ahead.

Cheers,
P

We'll always have Marrakech: Part 3

2009-09-21T04:12:00.000-07:00

As the students arrived to the camp and dismounted their camels a group of nomads dressed in white went out to welcome them with Moroccan music. It was immediately reminiscent of our experience at Chez Ali the evening prior but these people looked far more interested in being there in comparison. Some Berber tribe/nomadic people set up the camp. This camp was a mixture of 3 large dining tents and 30 smaller tents each sleeping 6 people. It was literally a small village for about 200 people. They even set up a bathroom/shower area right outside the camp.

As the sun began to set many of us went to the hill just outside of our camp to take photos and enjoy the experience of a true Saharan sunset. The crew broke their daily fast and had their dinner before we were served a fantastic meal seemingly made out of nowhere.

Following dinner we again found our way on to the carpets in the center of the camp and continued to enjoy each others company while the nomads performed and eventually encouraging us to join them in dancing. When it was time to get some sleep many of the students decided to pull the mats from the tents into the center of the camp or sleep in the large tents on the couches. It almost seems strange to me that I can say I slept under the stars in the Sahara but it was truly beautiful. While I can’t say that I had a peaceful nights sleep it was all a part of the experience and sooner that I would have liked it was time to get up for sunrise.

After a simple breakfast of bread and honey the students got back on their camels while Ana, Eddie and I stayed back to make sure that things were taken care of at camp. With the all clear we got in the crew jeep and were driven back to the buses to await the pack of students. Fortunately my dear Louaine also had the same idea and took the jeep back with us. Back on the bus it was another 9-hour drive back to Marrakech with a few pit stops and a lunch break.

I was excited to get back to Marrakech and check into our hotel for a hot shower that turned out to be a fair bit less than hot but at least I was clean. It wasn’t long before Eddie, Steven and I got a call from Ana and our faculty trip leader Cindy who were down stairs ready for dinner. We found this restaurant that looked pretty simple on the outside but inside looked like the Garden of Babylon. It was beautiful. We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed the local red wine, of which I purchased two bottles of the next day. I ate duck for the first time and I am proud to say that I cleared plate. After a long diner and great conversation we headed back to our hotel feeling exhausted but at the same time energized by our experience in Marrakech.

It all seemed strange that just a few days prior I was in Spain enjoying all the sangria I could and then I had just spent a night in the Sahara after riding camel back. Having our first two ports back to back was a bit disorienting in some ways. Perhaps as we continue we will ‘rebound’ faster but after 4 days in Spain, 1 on the ship then in jumping right into Morocco it was daunting. Many of us were still processing our experience when we were thrust into a new one. I guess that is just part of the journey.

Running on the ocean: Photo edition

2009-09-20T03:14:00.000-07:00

A while ago I wrote about running on the 7th deck. Ana got some pictures of me the other day so I thought that I would share them you you all back on land.

We'll always have Marrakech: Part 2

2009-09-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

The morning began sooner than I expected as I was awoken by the call to prayer an unfamiliar sound but something I figured out pretty quickly. Being in an Islamic country during Ramadan was a unique experience. Our tour guides followed the Ramadan custom of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Our tour guide Mulay’s voice was strained by the middle of each day as he spoke a lot but could not sooth this throat with water. I felt guilty sitting next to Mulay for the 9-hour bus ride as I occasionally took a sip of water from my Nalgene.

The 9-hour bus ride was not as bad as one might imagine, at times it was exciting, other scary and thanks to my well-honed skill of falling asleep in cars, sometimes restful. Driving through the Atlas Mountains making hairpin turns and blind curves reminded me of the Mullholand Madness ride at California Adventure. Being in the front seat often made it feel like I was hanging over the edge of the cliff knowing the tires were still a few feet behind me safety (as I kept telling myself) on the road.

We arrived at a restaurant for lunch and took over the entire second floor of the restaurant when another LLC, Ana pointed out the time to me. While I had previously given thought to the day, September 11th, I did not try to compute the time to east coast time. It was approaching 9:20am in the east coast. Ana asked if she should ask for a moment of silence when a student at our table realized what she was asking and said, that we should. Ana stood up and addressed the 170 SAS participants on our trip. I could see the emotion in her face and hear it in her voice as she called for everyone’s attention and stated that the time was approximately 1320 or 9:20est. All side conversation halted as students realized what she was doing. She asked for a moment of silence to remember those who were no longer with us and for all those affected. A minuet later she thanked everyone and students went back to their conversation and waited for what would be another great Moroccan meal.

Back on the bus we continued along our way, passing small towns and wishing that we could stop allowing us to get some photos of the people and communities. There were many moments that I wanted to capture along the way. The landscape was equally beautiful. If you have ever seen the movie Babel the opening scene with the bus traveling along, we were on that road. Nonetheless the drive continued and then almost without warning the bus pulled of the road and a small pack of camels waiting for us. My bus was the first to arrive and I knew that things were about to get interesting.

My bus alone held 43 passengers and as I have said multiple times we had 170 total in our group. It was then confirmed what was previously chatter among the students that there was 1 camel for every 2 people. So it was up to us to decide with a partner if we would ride the hour to the camp today and walk out tomorrow, or split up both ways allowing both people to ride each day. Now, remember the Life Long Learners I mentioned in Part 1. My poor LLL Louaine used a cane and also needed assistance to step on and off the bus. With the news of camel sharing I was suddenly preparing myself to walk both ways in order to allow at least one LLL ride the entire way.

Ultimately I rode for a bit and had a great time and plenty of laughs with the students around me. Along the way the SAS photographer Steve got a few good shots of me and then I switched with him. While I had assumed that Louaine would ride the entire time thus was not the case. She was complaining about being uncomfortable and she wanted to walk. Fantastic! So, I watched my group journey into the sunset as I slowly walked with Louaine as groups from the other three buses passes us by. Eventually camp came into sight and one of the tour guides called us over as the rest of the group was making an extra loop buying the crew some additional time to finish setting up for us. I will say, once walking Louaine never complained and really was a trooper but I was happy to get to the camp and take a few moments to myself after the long bus ride and slow walk with Louaine before the rest of the group arrived.

We’ll always have Marrakech Part 1

2009-09-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

After a great time in Spain we said adios and set sail for Morocco. It was a very short trip, only one day and most of it was spent off the coast of Gibraltar to refuel. Preparing for the forewarned rough seas entering Morocco, we were all reminded to remove heavy items from desktops and not to stand in doorways for fear of swinging doors and severed fingers. I went to bed expecting to be woken up due to the tossing when at 5am I was startled awake by water splashing against my window with great force. ‘Here we go’ I thought and jumped to look out the window only to be greeted by the window’s cleaning sprinklers and calm seas. A bit anti climatic if I say so, but I quickly went back to sleep for a while longer before going out for sunset.

The arrival to Morocco was nowhere as enjoyable as Spain. It was cloudy and it rained briefly as Ana and I stood outside waiting for the city to come into sight. We had been told that Morocco was an industrial port and that we would have cranes and shipping containers all around us. I don’t know why I thought the admin team was exaggerating but as the ship approached the port it became very clear that the admin team had actually been kind with the description. Not only were we between shipping containers and cranes but also the entrance to the port and gateway to the city was a good half-mile walk. While SAS did provide a shuttle to the port entrance I was told the service was questionable at best.

While the ship found its final position I being somewhat disappointed ran back to my cabin to get the rest of my things together for my 4 day/3 night trip to Marrakech and the Sahara. A quick breakfast and then it was time to gather with the 170 other people who would be joining me. We picked up our passports and a boxed lunch and made our way to the buses. I received my roster of students I would be somewhat responsible for as a bus leader (each trip as 1 trip leader and then bus leaders should numbers require it) and I quickly I had a few concerns. My students were great but I had 3 older life long learners. I thought that a camel trek and camping in the Sahara might be a bit of a challenge for some of them. I tried to stay positive until one woman walked off the ship with a cane. More on that later.

The first portion of our journey was a 2 hour bus ride to Marrakech during which our tour guide Mulay told us about the 5 pillars of Islam, and various facts about the area including that they usually only have rain 20-25 days a year. Pulling away from the ship I was I relived to be on a SAS excursion as I was intimidated by the conditions of the area and less then welcoming feeling even from the comfort and safety of my tour bus. I looked with concern as I saw some of our students standing at the port gates looking back and forth before crossing the streets that were anything but pedestrian friendly. Lanes were just an idea and stop lights a suggestion. Scooters, taxis, and semi trucks filled with who knows what zipped back and forth.

Happy to get off the bus upon our arrival in Marrakech we were taken to lunch just outside of the ‘famous’ Jemaa el Fna Square in the old part of town. The meal was really quite good and my ever-prevalent food fear was put to ease for at least one more meal. After lunch the sky looked dark and I realized that once again living in southern California had made me forget about weather. I did not bring an umbrella or raincoat on this trip. I pictured them hanging in my closet on the ship and just shook my head hoping for the best.

Walking through the souks or markets of the square we were invited in to each shop by eager owners hoping to make a sale. Ana, Eddie and my favorite computer-lacking student Lucas who clung on to us were in the back corner when the winds picked up and the sky turned black. Looking down the isles to the outside dresses, scarves, and ropes of hanging shoes began to flail about. It was a bit scary as we tried to get out and under some substantial structure as apposed to the haphazard draping of various tarps and flags over the souks. Street venders with henna tattoos, snakes and various types of food also ran for protection as their umbrellas previously shielding them from the harsh afternoon sun had gone cart wheeling across the square due to the high winds. The rain came down in sheets and at the same time the afternoon call to prayer and ended and what seemed like hundreds of men spilled out of the mosque as we all crammed together hoping the rain would quickly pass.

Hearing different languages being shouted back and forth, smelling fish and various other meats, spices, incense, while being crammed in the mosque entry was pretty overwhelming. I looked at Ana, Eddie and Lucas with big eyes trying to take the experience in. We eventually had to make a run for it in order to make it to our bus on time. Pretty wet and feeling pretty nasty we arrived to our hotel and we had a few hours before we met again for dinner.

Dinner as described in our field book was as follows “a Moroccan dinner with folklore show and horse fantasia at Chez Ali.” Dinner as I describe it was the worst of Epcot Center at Disney World and Medieval times combined. All 170 of us are paraded through this manufactured little town as packs of performers danced, sang and played instruments expecting money after students took photos of them. We eventually were taken into our dining room where throughout the evening what must have been a dozen groups of musicians and dancers walked through to perform for us all while looking dead inside and truly hating their life. At least at Disney they have learned the art of the fake smile. The food was great, in-between the musical interruptions every now and then.

We were then escorted back outside to find our seats around the area for the horse fantasia. Words cannot do this production justice. It began with a parade of people, who I will call the cast, including all the musicians and dancers we had gotten to know during our dinner. The music I’ll assume was traditional Moroccan music. Then a sort of float/platform/stage was brought out to the center of the ring and a belly dancer performed followed by a fire performer, a group of guys doing tricks on horses to the music of Star Wars, guys shooting rifles and the big finish was a short fire works show set to O fortuna – a classic piece of loud intense opera, you would recognize it if you hear it. We all left wondering what we had just experienced. Returning for our hotel I was eager to get to bed knowing that we had an 8 hour bus ride to the Sahara the next day.

Spain, day 4

2009-09-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

It was our last day in Spain so a group of us went out to purchase stamps, gifts and a few general groceries. The grocery had just put out a bunch of fresh rolls so we took the opportunity to have a cheap and easy lunch. Picture it, case of soda, a few warm rolls, a package of ham and group of Americans right outside the store. We all had a good laugh knowing that the locals must have thought we were ridiculous.

Hanna and Ann decided to go to the beach but Ana, Grant, Eddie and I continued our exploring. I’ll let you guess what we did next. No, not a bullfight, ok yes we people watched but that’s not the answer I was looking for. We got a final round of sangria before heading back to the ship to begin staffing the re-embarkation process. To take an excerpt from my co-worker Bridget’s blog:

Nothing compares to the versatility of Student Affairs folks. As a Living/Learning Team, we expect to be a part of any process, procedure, event, or issue. We rarely question late nights, we loathe early mornings because of the late nights (but we'll do it anyways), and the best part of it all is that we are damn funny and have the best stories. We're in the trenches, so not only do we have our fingers on the pulse of what's happening in students lives, we are part of the heartbeat. We set the rhythm and serve as the pacemakers. We can speed you up, slow you down, and if necessary pull the plug if it's just not working.

Based on feedback from previous voyages the hours before all passengers must be on the ship prior to setting sail is a mess for the security team. All bags must be searches and all passengers are patted down leading to pretty long lines. Tom our SAS security officer is determined to make this, the 100th voyage better than those before hand. So, two hours prior to on ship time, the LLCs got into place and like we did in Halifax further developed our skills as future TSA baggage screeners. We did our best to welcome students back with a smile as we diligently searched for any contraband. This time we included to our list of those items previously mentioned any twist off beverage bottles and packaged meat. While students were encouraged to try the ham in Spain, we could not allow them to bring it on the ship for health and safety reasons. Some students were disappointed but none of them gave us much of a hard time. A few even took the opportunity to open the packaging and devour the entire package before boarding and to be honest the staff took care of the rest.

No one was late and we set sail as scheduled. The waters were pretty rough last night and they are warning us of another bad night ahead tonight. The entry to Morocco was so bad for the summer voyage that they were delayed an entire day, and had to cancel all the first day excursions. I really hope this is not the case tomorrow as I am scheduled to leave for my Marrakech and Sahara camel trek excursion tomorrow.

I hope all is well back in the states. Thanks for following along,

P

Spain, day 2 & 3

2009-09-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

After a quiet night of duty it was off to Seville! A bunch of the LLCs, and a number of students were on the 11:00 train. The station was right next to the port so it was an easy walk from the ship but being my fathers son, I wanted to leave the ship at 9:40. Arriving at the station with PLENTY of time I got some Euros from the ATM and looked at my map of Seville. The two hour ride was nice and allowed some of us to see the outlying areas between town and others to read and fall asleep.

When we arrived Grant and I took a cab to our hotel and were pleased that they let us check in a bit early. We dropped off our things and took to the streets to explore. A word of caution, Seville is a pedestrian friendly city, but not so navigationally friendly. Maybe having grown up in a town that was a square grid system with each mile simply named by its mile number, set me up for failure. I usually think I am pretty good with directions, N.S.E.W, using a map and the such, and Grant made it clear from the beginning that he would be close to useless in this area. However, I was THAT GUY looking at the map at nearly every intersection. I got frustrated looking for the Cathedral so Grant provided the only support he knew how by suggesting we stop for some Sangria. I headed his advise without question. After a nice break we made a second attempt to find the Cathedral. Practice makes perfect.

In our journey we tried to do our part in the economic support of Spain making a few small purchases of post cards, a fan and things. As in Cadiz, the jean cargo man Capri pants were quite popular along with the mullet as Augustine said they would. I regret to inform you that I did not take the chance to photograph this phenomenon but I’ll keep my eyes out for fellow travelers who may have captured and evidence.

When in Spain we wanted to do as the Spaniards do, so we went back to our hotel for a siesta or a disco nap as a few friends back in LA call it to prepare for our evening out. Around 9:30 we went for dinner and I was pleased to see the menu was tourist friendly by having the items listed in three languages. After a few glasses of sangria (if you haven’t already picked up on it sangria will be a reoccurring aspect of my time in Spain) and a great dinner we made our way to a sidewalk café where we responsibly enjoyed, you guessed it, more sangria!

Prior to leaving the states Grant found a regular Sunday drag show so that was our goal for the evening. The show was fun and the music all in Spanish was passionate but impossible for me to understand. (Sorry Senora Nicho, my Spanish has only gotten worse from its already terrible skill level back in high school.) Grant feeling a little more linguistically inclined tried to order me a Vodka cranberry but I quickly learned that ‘vodka y cran’ wasn’t right and that I should not trust Grant. I got a tall glass of straight caramel vodka. I spent the evening sipping on it until I got myself a glass of soda and mixed them. If I remember correctly Grant asked for a mohito but I do know he did not get what he expected. At 4:30am the show came to an end and the bar quickly cleared so Grant and I called it a night.

The next morning Grant and I, no worse for wear after our evening of mystery drinks, checked out of our hotel walked around a bit more, got ‘lost’ a bit more, did some more shopping then made our way back to the train station for our ride home. Just like the ride there we had a number of students on our train and Grant and I both spent the two-hour trip reading.

Back in Cadiz I took some time to catch up on some journaling at a small café along with a glass of Sangria (its just that good) and enjoyed a quiet evening.

My cabin!

2009-09-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 4055!

Spain, day 1

2009-09-09T02:42:00.000-07:00

After a great night with our pre-port staff party, I was up dark and early to watch the sunrise as we made our way into the port of Cadiz. Ana called at 6:30am and soon after I met her on a very blustery Deck 8 forward. Some students were already there and many others quickly joined as we began to see the lights of Cadiz appear in the distance.

The moon was still holding court when we got up at 6:30am to celebrate our arrival in Spain.

Approaching every port Captain Jeremy steps down and allows a port pilot to take over. These specialized pilots know all the nuances of the port; the ocean floor, the currents, the tides, the docking positions etc. It’s like having valet parking every time. In something that looks like a stunt out of a James Bond movie the pilot boat comes towards the ship, flips around along side our ship and the pilot jumps on board just before the small boat turns and peals away from the edge of our much larger ship. We have been told that it is always neat to see but when the water is rough it can be down right nerve racking.

Not a techincally great photo but I still love it.

Slowly the sun began to set the sky on fire as if fighting the moon for its position still high above. Second by second Cadiz reveled more of its self to us the; cathedral’s dome and spires and monuments in the center of a square a few blocks in. The ship found it final position for the next few days and the immigration crew stepped on board and began to review all the passports while Ana and I made our way to the cafeteria for our first breakfast ‘in’ Spain. Conversations buzzed with talks of the various itineraries; flamenco show, Barcelona, Seville, Gibraltar, exploring Cadiz, and of course many students excitement to go to the clubs. Having been prepared for a potentially long clearing process, some times taking up to 6 hours before anyone is allowed to get off the ship, I made my way back to my cabin to catch up on the sleep I missed.

The MV Explorer's lights turn on to indicate its arrival in Cadiz!

I was not even in my room for 15 seconds when over the ships announcement system the LLCs were asked to report to the fac/staff lounge to distribute passports. This was news to us, and not well received news by a number of my colleagues who were woken up by that message. Of course we did what we had to do but afterwards I went back to bed for a few hours before meeting a student to go get a new computer.

Lucas’s computer crashed on the 2nd day of the voyage and came to me the prior evening after our pre-port meeting in which students reminded of general travel safety including the standard ‘do not walk alone’. Well Lucas had planed to go purchase a new computer on his own but came by to check if it would be ok. Sensing his concern I offered to go with him, as I had no real plans other than walking around the city that day as I was on duty that evening. Well I meet Lucas and we take off. I expected Lucas to be prepared with a map, directions, and a plan in general. When I asked where we were headed he said that he wasn’t sure, he just planed to ask the cab driver. I then told him that I didn’t have any Euros, of course nor did he. We begin walking. He asked for directions three times and we finally made it to the store. Not so surprisingly all the computers and Spanish keyboards. Ultimately he chose not to buy a new computer. Seriously. He is just lucky I made it back to the ship in time for lunch.

That afternoon I met up with some students and Steven our SAS photographer for a bit of a casual walking/photo tour of Cadiz. It was nice to explore a bit as well as get to know a few more students all while getting some nice photo tips. I had to return to the ship for duty so I left the group began the walk back through the small streets. I was a bit anxious about the first night of Port Duty but confident that I would be able to deal with whatever came my way. I'm pleased to say that I did so flawlessly as I didn’t get a single call.

Welcome to Spain!

2009-09-07T10:56:00.001-07:00

Power, Privilege and Pre-port parties

2009-09-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Being a staff member on Semester At Sea gives us (some, all-be-it limited) power. With power comes privilege, and one of those privileges is the faculty staff pre-port party. First some back story, in an effort to encourage students to use the most of their time in port, SAS does not do student beverage service (formerly known as pub nights) on the evening preceding arrival in a port (providing one of the few nights that the LLCs can all gather together. The faculty and staff however have both happy hour and evening beverage service in our lounge every night, even while in port!

A returning faculty member, Agustin, mentioned previously, told us that it is tradition to have a fac/staff pre-port party following the logistical pre-port meeting. He said the evenings usually go on far longer than the bar tender is serving and thus we go to our cabins and bring up our own beverages at that point. The disco lights are on and the music is more lively than usual. Being the young group of the staff the Living Learning Coordinators wanted to make sure our presence was known.

Boy did we let our presence known! Many of us quickly found our way to the lounge after the logistical meeting and were ready to celebrate our successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and completion of the first ‘week’ of classes. It started off harmless, a few people at the bar, and pockets of people at tables here and there. As we had high winds last night, the typically open public area on deck 7 outside the fac/staff lounge was closed for safety reasons. At one point, allegedly brought in by a faculty member, four students came in to see the full moon and the beautiful reflection on the water. A hush fell over the crowd as we realized our sanctuary had been infiltrated. Luckily the students were quickly whisked away, our heart rates returned to normal and peace and joy were restored to our little fac/staff village.

The drinks continued and Agustin went to get his iPod to play some great Spanish music to ‘set the mood’ for our days ahead. It didn’t take long for the dancing to begin and sure enough, all but one of the remaining faculty members, besides Agustin of course retreated to their cabins. Grant soon took it upon himself to figure out how to use the fog machine and the fun continued. The last call bell rang; we placed our final orders and continued to dance through the evening as we made our final stretch to Spain. Sure enough, a few choice beverages were brought up from some of our cabins and the celebration stretched into the early morning hours.

We all had moments of appreciation for the opportunity to work for SAS, to have such a fun group or colleagues, and excitement for the first port tomorrow. As I returned to my cabin where my pillow was in a pool of moonlight that was so perfect it could have been a lighting set up on stage, I knew the 6:30am call for sunrise would come earlier that I would like. It was however entirely worth it.
Cheers,
P

Cultural Pre-port: Cadiz

2009-09-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

The two nights prior to each port the entire shipboard community is encouraged to squeeze into the Union and have a crash course on the culture of the country/port city we will soon experience first had. I’ll do my best to share some of the highlights of each pre-port.

Cadiz, Spain
- Even vegetarians should try the ham.
- If you meet someone you are interested in, don’t try to shake his or her hand, do the double kiss.
- If you want to look like a tourist, wear white socks with sandals.
One of our students from Spain shared this valuable piece of info - In Spain you go stay out until 5:00, 6:00, even 7:00 in the morning, drink to have fun, don’t drink to get drunk, you won’t last.

One of the professors from Spain, Agustin and his American wife Tammy did a great activity of Spain vs. US stereotypes. Where he encouraged the students to shout out different stereotypes they have heard of Spain, he and his wife could address them and then he would share a stereotype of Americans from the Spain perspective. A few of the best were that all young US men wear baseball caps and adult men where cowboy hats. Another was that the most important thing in the US is football and beer (many of our students seemed to agree with this by the applause he received). On the flip side, our students said in regards to Spain, ‘they have crazy hairstyles’ Agustin said ‘yes, you’ll see a lot of mullets, I don’t get it.’ Then the best laugh of the night was when a student said “All the men from Spain are really attractive” and I’m sure winning big points, Tammy quickly grabbed the microphone from Agustin’s hand and said “Yes, yes they are”

Running on the ocean

2009-09-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

After an admittedly lazy running summer I started running again yesterday. The ship’s cardio room is pretty small and only had two treadmills that are constantly in use and the ship does not have a way to run a full loop on the ship like many larger cruise ships. After feeling a little cooped up and pretty lazy I decided to try running back and forth on the 7th deck outside the faculty staff lounge. Having been running on the beach for the last 5 years I thought that I really had it made, but this is even better. It is amazing to be running and see the ocean spreading out all around you for as far as the eye can see.

The ocean breeze potentially giving the faculty and staff in the lounge a view more than they had anticipated as it tosses my shirt and running shorts about, the ships tipping giving me a bit of an incline and the sunshine giving me a healthy dose of vitamin D. I’m going to try and have a friend take a few pictures as I run back and forth. I think it might become one of my favorite things. Also, I usually go around 4:30 thus keeping me out of the staff bar for happy hour – that’s a good thing.

"Attention Ships Passengers, Attention Ships Passengers"

2009-09-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

A neat part of the SAS shipboard experience is the bridge tour. In a relatively small group of 15 people we are taken into the back stage area of the Union and then via key pad entry (which was not nearly as impressive as I had first thought when I realized that the magical sound that occurred when the crew member entered the code was actually just Ana turning on her annoying loud camera) we are taken into the Bridge – the main control station for the ship. As we walked in the first thing we noticed was that on one was sitting at the Captain’s chair. Should we be concerned?

The crew member told us all about the systems, from the high tech to the very low tech. He asked what the most important piece of equipment in the room is and being a smart ass of course I said the coffee maker. Obviously there is THE Captain but the ship has a crew of 30 who work the bridge from the mappers (probably not the technical name) to the mechanical guys. He showed us the satellite phones, the GPS, the radars, the ship-to-ship instant messenger type thing, and the night vision capabilities.

As I had heard before, he told us that our ship is the fasted ship of its kind in the world. A wife of a faculty member asked about what sort of defense the ship has against pirates (ARRRRR!) and the crew member said with a smile and the push of a button on the computer showing four huge engines (only one of which is usually used) ‘we would just outrun them’. He told us that if we went full speed we would have made it from Halifax to Cadiz in 4 days instead of the 7 we are taking to allow time for classes. However in our last days of travel the Captain will ‘let it rip’ and push to all 4 engines towards San Diego so we can experience it. A few of my co workers were joking today that the Captain would come on and in his awesome British announcer voice say “Attention ship’s passengers, attention ships passengers. HOLD ON”

Rocking the boat and chasing the clock.

2009-09-02T04:16:00.000-07:00

Our first day at sea with the students had a few rocky moments. The sea was not rough at all by seasoned sailors standards but there were multiple times while looking out my window all I saw was water, then sky, then water, then sky, then water, then…well you get the point. My dresser drawers flew open and the juice on my shelf slid into the catch bar (those ship engineers really knew what they were doing). It was as if I was riding one of the big pendulum pirate ship rides at the fair.

It’s a strange enough to loose an hour each spring but for the past three days in a row we have been loosing one hour each night. Tonight the captain has given us a break but only for tonight, tomorrow and the day after its back to the 23 hour days. However after Cadiz we will gain two hours in one evening before reaching Ghana, only to lose an hour for two nights in a row when we leave. It makes my head spin and I can’t even imagine trying to figure out what time it is now back in LA.

Cheers, P

What a week!

2009-09-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the MV Explorer sailing through the Atlantic Ocean.

The past week has flown by but somehow it seems as though I have been on the ship far longer than a week. When I last wrote I was about to leave my hotel to board. So lets begin. Last Monday Eddie and Bridget, who shared the hotel room with me, had so much stuff they took a cab to the port. Grant and I packed very light in comparison so being stubborn and cheap we both chose to walk the 8 blocks or so. I found my way to my cabin on the 2nd deck and quickly began to unpack. My porthole was larger than I had expected it to be and the circular window indeed gave it a fun nautical feel. There is a heavy steal plate that can be closed in the event of rough waters. We began our ship orientation a few hours later which included introduction of the Ship captains as well as introductions of the executive dean, academic dean, dean of students (my supervisor) and the rest of the faculty and staff. Our training is organized by main office staff who all work in Charlottesville VA, so they will sail with us to Halifax. After our first meeting we all made our way up to the 7th deck for our welcome reception. Our lounge is a great space and I know that I will very much appreciate our hideaway.

Before we could set sail we had our first lifeboat drill. Being the only person on the 2nd deck at that time, I made it to my muster station and realized that I had an entire lifeboat to myself. I like those odds. Soon after we gently pushed away from the port of Norfolk and passing over the Chesapeake Bridge we set off for the Pacific Ocean. The ship is impressively stable while docked at port and gave many of us a false sense of stability so it was not long before we were bumping into walls and grabbing for handrails while we tried to develop our sea legs. The sky quickly darkened turning into night and we soon lost sight of the lights on land bringing an end to our first day. As I got into bed and shut off the light I realized another perk of being on the bottom deck. The moonlight reflects off the white crashing waves and creates a sort of light show on my ceiling. An ever-changing wave of light lulled me to sleep that night as thoughts of the journey spun through my head.

The ships medical team and captain are very concerned with the likelihood of a swine flu outbreak on the ship. As we have much lower numbers, nearly 200 lower than usual we have a number of empty rooms. SO after many conversations between the admin team and the main officer in VA, they decided that the second deck should be cleared and held for quarantine. As a result, I packed up and moved up to the 4th deck and my students were dispersed between the various spaces on the 3rd and 4th deck. Upgrade!

Training is now a blur and it already seems like weeks ago when we arrived to bagpipes in Halifax and our students boarded. The LLC (Living Learning Coordinators) team is the catchall crew. Because of this I have discovered a potential career should I leave student affairs. Working for the Canadian TSA was an experience to say the least. Understandably students’ baggage went through scanners and one of my favorite co-workers Ana and I worked at the carry on scanner. With direction of Rhonda and Jill, the official Canadian TSA staff (Hi R & J) Ana would ask the student to open their bag and show us the questionable item. The items in question include the usual; drugs, weapons, knives over three inches, open containers of liquid, and tape. Yes, tape. We only use magnets on the ship. 75% of our cabin is metal and the tape damages the walls. One of my favorite things to confiscate was curling irons and straightness that did not have an auto shut off switch. While Ana and I were the third round of inspections we still found quite a few, maybe two dozen to be exact. Additionally, students are not allowed to bring alcohol on the ship and staff and faculty can only bring on two bottles at each port, and we must be subtle in caring the items on. We found two students who must have gone to great lengths to replace 5 bottles of water in the middle of a case with vodka. Before this discovery our ship security would open one or two bottles per case, and not delicately either. The guy would rip the box or plastic right open and pull out a few bottles, open them, smell them, even take a sip in a few case. Once we found vodka twice we went on red alert. We opened EVERY bottled beverage that was brought to the ship. It was a mess but ultimately I think it will make our life easier, at least for this first crossing.

Following a second lifeboat drill, for which I received numerous complements on my ‘serious voice’ instructing students, staff and faculty in my new muster station to remain quiet the entire time, the MV Explorer blasted it horns three times signaling its departure. And with that, the 100th voyage was underway. The students had two long days of orientation and have now had two days of classes. We arrive in Cadiz, Spain on Saturday and then I’ll be heading to Seville with one of the other LLCs, Grant for a nice student free trip.

Some pictures will be posted soon.

Cheers,
P

Setting sail!

2009-08-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

In the next hour I will leave my hotel and step aboard the MV Explorer for the first time! We have most of the day to get settled and run off the ship again if we need to. The ship will sail at 11:00pm tonight.

After a few relaxing days in North Carolina with Mom and Dad and a visit with Grandma we hit the road for Norfolk Saturday. Luckily a bit of rain on the way was all we experienced of Hurricane Bill and that is enough for me. After checking in to our hotel we went to the mall across the street for some dinner and additional shopping. After that we walked to the pier and I saw the ship for the first time. It was all a buzz with cleaning crews as the students and staff from the summer voyage just got of the ship that morning. It was a great moment seeing the ship that I would be calling home for the next few months. Bright and early Sunday morning mom and dad when to church and we got breakfast after. With that came the good byes and the tears as Mom and Dad started the drive back home. I spent the day making some phone calls and walking around the dock areas.

I am sharing my hotel room with 3 other staff members, Eddie, Grant and Bridget so as the day progressed it was fun to have a knock on the door and meet the new roommates - it was very "Real World". The Living Learning Team (formerly known as the Student Life Team) all met for dinner at a converted Abby here in Norfolk. While some of our conversation was not the most appropriate for an Abby but i imagine that its walls have heard worse. We also had a lot of laughs talking about all the baggage and things people brought. Ana brought 10 cases of water! Eddie brought 100 pairs of underwear (I'm still not sure if he is kidding, his amount of luggage would suggest that he is not) With a post dinner run to WalMart we picked up a few final things and the roommates and I came back to the hotel.

Eddie, Grant and I decided a round of drinks were necessary so off we went. A few hours, a few drinks and many laughs later the bar was shutting down and we were kindly asked to leave. I think this is a great start to my trip.

I have not gotten our training schedule yet but I expect to be pretty busy over the next few days so I'll update as soon as I can.

We all have our baggage...

2009-08-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

...and mine shattered into a million pieces. A million pieces of junk!

At the end of a long day of flying I was happy to get off the plane and ready to get my bag. Dad and I were waiting and as soon as I saw it coming toward me on the carousel I knew something wasn't right. What should have been a flat bottom was rounded. I tried to pull it off and heard the pieces of the bottom support shuffle and crack even more. UGH!

Annoyed and struggling to roll it out of the Charlotte airport I figured, I better get to the store, I need a new bag for Saturday. Upon arriving to my parents house I was welcomed by a batch of famous Mommy Lynn cookies so that took my mind off the luggage situation for the night. Now, my mom likes a challenge and she was one unhappy little Irish woman when she found out about my bag. She called Samsonite and asked what we needed to do in order to get a new bag or my money back. They told her to take it to a luggage store in the mall and we would have to pay to have it shipped back. If Samsonite determined that it was damage due to the airport then I was out of luck but if it was a product defect they would repair or replace it. So off to the mall we went. I guess the base of the bag has been a reoccurring problem because almost as quickly as we walked into the store, the guy working went to the back and got me a new bag with no hassle at all. Cheers!

My parents and I will head to Norfolk Saturday morning and I will see the ship for the first time, I can't wait. The adventure is a few days away.

Packing

2009-08-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

How does one pack for a three and a half month trip around the world?! How many pairs of jeans? Is 6 pairs of shoes too many? Should I bring my own wine opener? Will my small bag be big enough for my excursions? How often will I get my laundry done on board. Is two weeks worth of underwear enough?!?!
I know that thousands of people have done it before but I am having a hard time. Its a bonus that we are ending our voyage in San Diego and will not need to fly again on the way back- I imagine that I will add a few things to my bag along the way, if not another bag entirely. While I leave LA in 5 days I will have a few days in North Carolina with my parents before I to Norfolk to board the ship. I'll be doing my 'final' shopping in NC where I'll pick up the stuff I don't want to fly with like full bottles of shampoo and conditioner, office supplies, and 3 months worth of Doritos.

The Field Program/SAS Excursions

2009-08-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

One of the most important aspects of the Semester At Sea program is the Field Program - or the in port excursions. Some of them are directly connected to a class, some are not. In any form, all the classes incorporate the experiences students have in each port. Two weeks ago students, staff and faculty registered for the over night trips. We will sign up for the single day trips along the journey once aboard. With over 500 students, 40 Life Long Learners and 70 some faculty and staff I didn't think that I would get all the trips that I requested. Obviously there are limitations on trips so if numbers exceed the capacity then a lottery will be done for all positions. I am very fortunate that I got ALL the big trips I wanted. Once on board the dean will decide what staff members will be a trip leader thus receiving half of the price covered by SAS - I am hoping to be a leader on at least one of my trips.

I'll do my best not to over load you but here is some info from the guide book about the amazing trips that I will be experiencing.

MARRAKECH & CAMEL TREK IN THE SAHARA (4 days/3 nights)
Located on an oasis at the base of the High Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is the gateway city to the Sahara. The cultural, natural and historical attractions of this traditional Berber capital, seat to nearly all of Morocco’s dynasties over the last thousand years, make Marrakech the top tourism destination in North Africa.

Ouarzazate lies on the confluence of three important oasis valley systems: the Ouarzazate, Dadès and Drâa. As one travels southeast from Ouarzazate to Zagora, the contrast of bare sun-baked rock with the lush green of the palm groves forms some beautiful scenery. A labyrinth of irrigation channels feeds the fertile, palm-shaded terraces of farmland in the Drâa valley. Dates are the primary commercial crop, and the best eating dates are found in Zagora. The Drâa Valley has always been strongly influenced and interlinked with the destiny of the surrounding nomadic tribes. It has served as a stepping-stone for Saharan explorations since the 10thcentury. Your experience in the Sahara will include an overnight in a nomad camp and a camel trek into the desert.

Day 1: Depart by minibus to Marrakech. Upon arrival, you will have free time to explore the city. This evening enjoy a Moroccan dinner with folklore show and horse fantasia at Chez Ali. Day 2: Travel to Zagora in the magnificent Drâa Valley. A lunch stop will be made in Ouarzazate where you will have a tremendous view of the Saharan world including its dunes, oases and small mud villages. Later enjoy dinner in a nomad tent before settling into camp for the night.
Day 3: This morning you will venture into the Sahara Desert on an early morning mehari (camel trek) with nomads. Enjoy a last mint tea in the desert before returning to Marrakech. The late afternoon and evening are free to explore the famous Jemaa el Fna Square and other sites.
Day 4: Enjoy Marrakech on your own until you depart for your return by minibus to Casablanca.

VOLTA ECO-ADVENTURE
Day 1: In the early morning depart for a scenic drive through the coastal savanna of the Accra plains. Once at Afadjato Mountain, climb to the highest point of Ghana, without the need for climbing gear. After reaching the summit, depart for an eventful drive to Wli Waterfalls. Hike through the lush greenery of the Agumatsa Forest Reserve where you will cross the same river eleven times to reach the breathtaking falls. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the base of the falls. The water falls from a height of about 1,600 feet into a plunge pool where swimming is permitted. You may swim in the plunge pool at the base of the tallest
waterfall in Ghana.
Day 2: After breakfast, drive to Tafi Atome, a village that has practiced conservation as a culture by keeping their monkeys sacred. Witness these endangered animals in large numbers as they live in the wild. The monkeys are the mona species and are considered sacred by the people who live with them.

THREE-DAY SAFARI TO KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Kruger National Park is one of the world’s most popular sanctuaries for nature and wildlife and home to innumerable species. There is an ideal opportunity in the park to observe Africa’s Big Five up close – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros – in addition to no less than 336 types of trees, 49 species of fish, 114 types of reptiles and 507 bird species, as well as endless elegant giraffe, baboons, zebra and buck.

Day 1: Transfer from the ship to Cape Town International Airport for your two-hour flight to Kruger. On arrival, transfer to the Sabi River Sun Resort. After check-in, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. In the late afternoon, the game ranger takes you on a game drive in open 4x4 vehicles. At dusk, enjoy sundowners deep in the bush. Return to the lodge to freshen up before dinner. This evening, dinner is served in the boma. This African tradition is typically dinner around the campfire in an outdoor setting.
Day 2: In the early morning, awaken for a full-day game drive. Experience how nature comes to life with the rise of the sun. Breakfast packs are available for the drive. Later, enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush. Afterwards, continue the game drive in search of more sightings of the Big Five. Return to the lodge in the afternoon and relax before dinner.
Day 3: In the early morning, awaken for a morning game drive. Breakfast packs are available for the drive. Continue to the airport for your return flight to Cape Town.

TAJ MAHAL
Day 1: Transfer to the airport for your 2 1⁄2-hour flight to New Delhi. Upon arrival, enjoy a city orientation of Old Delhi. Drive along Rajpath, the ceremonial avenue, past the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace) the Raj Ghat (Gandhi Memorial) and the Red Fort. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, depart on a three-hour train ride for Agra. Once in Agra, proceed to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: View the Taj Mahal at dawn, then return to the hotel for breakfast. Visit the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri with its well-preserved sandstone palaces. Return to the hotel for lunch. The afternoon will include visits to Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. After viewing the Taj Mahal at sunset, board the express train (two hours) for New Delhi. Dinner will be served on the train. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Day 3: After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a city tour of New Delhi. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to the airport for your return flight to Chennai.

CAMBODIA: PHNOM PENH & ANGKOR WAT
Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, was once considered the loveliest of the French-built cities of Indochina. Its charm is still evident despite the violence and destruction during and immediately following the Viet Nam War. When the Viet Nam War spread to Cambodia, the city's population swelled with refugees, reaching about two million in early 1975.

Angkor is an incomparable temple complex built between 7 and 11 centuries ago at the height of the Khmer civilization. Angkor’s 100 or so temples constitute the sacred skeleton of a spectacular administrative and religious center covering 200-square kilometer. The ruins represent successive capitals constructed by a dozen Khmer kings, which included massive stone temples, majestic causeways and imposing towers. You will visit the most famous temple complex, Angkor Wat. With its soaring towers and extraordinary bas-reliefs, many consider Angkor Wat to be one of the most inspired and spectacular monuments ever conceived by the human mind.

Day 1: Depart for the airport for your one-hour flight to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival, obtain a Cambodia visa. Visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. In the afternoon, visit the Palm Tree Orphanage, supported by SAS alumni Terry Kellogg and Marvel Harrison, founders of Cambodia’s Hope. Enjoy a sunset cruise on the Mekong River followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2: In the morning, visit the Tuol Sleng Museum, the Killing Fields and the Russian Market. Transfer for your flight to Siem Reap. Upon arrival, view and explore Angkor Wat until sunset. Check into the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Early risers may enjoy an optional sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. After breakfast at the hotel, spend the day exploring the area’s massive and elaborate temple ruins and restoration projects, including Angkor Wat. Late afternoon, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

HIKING ON THE GREAT WALL - 4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS
Day 1: Depart Hong Kong for your flight to Beijing and take transfer to Simatai. Watch the sunset over the Great Wall and then enjoy an evening under the stars. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 2: Breakfast is at leisure in the lodge. Today take a 4-5 hour (8km) hike from Simatai Great Wall and the Jinshanling Section. The Simatai – Jinshanling is a four-hour hike along the unreconstructed part of the Wall. The Simatai Great Wall is celebrated for its steepness and intactness. The main attractions include the Stairway to Heaven, the Fairy Tower, the Heaven
Bridge and the Wangjinglou Tower. The hike will continue until you reach Jinshanling, the best preserved part of the Great Wall with many original features. Overnight will be at a local inn.
Day 3: Breakfast is at leisure in hotel. Today hike 5-6 hours (12km) from Jinshanling to Gubeikou Great Wall. In this section of the Wall, there are 14 beacon towers, 143 watchtowers, 16 strategic pass, three citadels and many other military constructions. This will be a fairly smooth, easy hike. En route, pass a military area where you can walk along a scenic country road before rejoining the Wall. The hike will finish at the General Tower in the Gubeikou section. In the late afternoon drive to downtown Beijing. Enjoy at Roast Duck dinner in Beijing.
Day 4: Today visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. In the afternoon transfer to Beijing Airport for
your return flight to Shanghai.

So, that is a look at the big trips that I'll be taking! Hopefully I'll get some great photos to share with you.
Cheers.

What Time Is It There?

2009-08-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

While I am in the process of trying to figure out my phone situation which will inevitably be expensive and hope to not make too many calls during the voyage I thought it might also be helpful to share with you all time change info.

Based on Eastern Standard Time - the time on the ship is ahead EDT by the number of hours listed below:

Spain (+6 hours)
Morocco (+4 hours)
Ghana (+4 hours)
South Africa (+6 hours)
Mauritius (+8 hours)
India (+9.5 hours)
Viet Nam (+11 hours)
China (+13 hours)
Japan (+14 hours)
Hawaii (-5 hours)

I love mail...

2009-08-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

...but don't send me your bills.

A few of you have already asked about where you can send me things. First, I LOVE that idea. While I am excited to meet new people and see the world, I know that I will miss the comforts and people of home - be that LA, San Francisco, Kalamazoo or Farmington Hills. Second, I'll be sure to send you something or bring you something back :) I plan to be a pen-pal for my friend Katie's classroom in Chicago. 'But first a word from our sponsor'

Please do not send packages to the ship - Excessive duty is charged in some countries. In many instances, packages are not delivered to the ship. Packages may be held in customs, or at a local post office, and the recipient aboard ship is never notified. If you send packages, you do so at your own risk.

This info can be found in a user friendly chart on the Semester At Sea site for all you visual people. It includes suggested airmail dates for things to be sent out from the US.
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/fall-2009/fall-2009-staying-in-touch.php

But here it is as well.

When sending mail please address this as follows
MV Explorer - Fall 2009 Voyage
Attn: Patrick Lynn

Then the Port Agent's Address (from the list below) should be written on the subsequent lines.

Cadiz, SPAIN - Suggested Airmail Date August 21

Perez Y CIA S.L.
C/ Ecuador, 2
11007 Cadiz, SPAIN

Casablanca, MOROCCO - Suggested Airmail Date August 27

LASRY MAROC S.A.
30 Avenue des Far
20000 Casablanca, MAROC

Accra, GHANA - Suggested Airmail Date September 8

HULL BLYTH
Seatec House / PO Box CO 214
Akosombo Road
TEMA

Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA - Suggested Airmail Date September 19

JOHN T. RENNIE & SONS
19th FLOOR
No.1 Thibault Square
8001 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA

Port Louis, MAURITIUS - Suggested Airmail Date October 1

Ireland Blyth Limited
Shipping Operations Department
No 6 Dr Ferriere Street
Port Louis, MAURITIUS

Chennai, INDIA - Suggested Airmail Date October 9

J.M. BAXI & CO
3rd Floor, Clive Battery Complex
4 & 4A, Rajaji Salai
Chennai 600 001, INDIA

Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM - Suggested Airmail Date October 20

GENERAL FORWADING AGENCY
5th Floor Osic Building
8 Nguyen Hue Ave.
D. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM

HONG KONG - Suggested Airmail Date October 28

INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES (HK) Ltd.
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
Nº 3 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong - CHINA

Shanghai, CHINA – Suggested Airmail Date November 1

PENAVICO SHANGHAI
3/F 13 Zhong Shan Road (E 1)
Shanghai 200002, P.R. CHINA

Yokohama, JAPAN - Suggested Airmail Date November 6

INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
2F Asahi Seimei Yokohama Honcho Bldg
36, 4-Chome Honcho, Naka-ku
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 231-005, JAPAN

Kobe, JAPAN – Suggested Airmail Date November 9

INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES (Japan) Ltd.
Kenryu Bldg, Room 502
6 Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyog-ken 650-0024, JAPAN

Honolulu, HAWAII - Suggested Airmail Date November 20
INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
521 Ala Moana Blvd
Suite 256
Honolulu, HI 96813

Hilo, HAWAII - Suggested Airmail Date November 23
INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
521 Ala Moana Blvd
Suite 256
Honolulu, HI 96813

The Excitement is Building.

2009-08-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from today I will leave my house on the beach (my summer home as I have enjoyed calling it) to go to North Carolina so I can spend a few days with my parents and see Grandma before my voyage. A lot has been going on in the past few weeks so let me give you the update.

I had a chance to actually meet my supervisor Byron for our 1:1 meeting back in early July. He was ‘meeting’ with most of the staff over the phone as we are scattered across the country but as he is just an hour inland I thought I would make the trip to meet him. As expected from my initial conversation with him during my interview and our exchanges via e-mail our lunch meeting was a great time. We talked some business and I shared with him my thoughts and goals for my position. He told me more about his experience on the ship and a few of his highlights along his journey. As if I was not excited enough our meeting got me even more energized and eager for the adventure. On the hour drive back to the Westside (fortunately avoiding the traffic from the Michael Jackson memorial that occurred the same day) my mind was spinning with excitement and ideas for what the journey would be like.

In other news, I finally finished all of my inoculations. I went to the Playa Vista Urgent Care Center last week and it was thankfully less eventful than the interaction with the staff at the farmers market. I told the guy at the desk that I needed the MMR booster, polio and yellow fever shots for travel. They asked me where I was going. ‘Seriously’ I thought to myself, having imagined that this process would be quick, as I knew just what I needed. ‘I’m going all over the place, but I specifically need yellow fever for Ghana.’ The physician’s assistant seemed to be ok with that. Being the only person there I didn’t have to wait too long before I was taken back into an exam room where I spoke to the doctor for a very brief moment about my travels. Moments later the assistant again came in and told me that the doctor wanted a full list of places that I would be going. Now having gotten pretty good at running through the list and being a little annoyed I gave him the list pretty quickly. (I do have to admit, being unemployed since the end of May I have plenty of time on my hands but I still I was annoyed as if I had ‘better things to do’ or ‘had someplace to go’ of which I had neither). He looked up from his note pad like a deer in headlights, ‘victory’ I thought to myself.

“What is Mauritius?” He asked.

“It’s an island of Madagascar, but I don’t need any shots for that area”

He walked out and sat down at a computer behind a desk and asked another staff member, “He is literally going around the world. Where is Mauritius? I don’t know how to spell it, I had to sound it out”

He later popped his in again with a big grin and said, “I found Mauritius!”

The doctor came in again and I told him more about the program and he, not so surprisingly asked if I was a student. When I told him that I was a staff member he seemed rather impressed, rightfully so. Nearly an hour after my arrival I finally got my shots and soon after went on my way to sit in my summer home and do nothing but watch TV. It’s a hard life.

Pictures

2009-07-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some good pictures that I found on line (from facebook of course). It gives a nice idea of what to expect on the ship.

The MV Explorer - My home from August 24-December 14th

I'll be boarding with the rest of the staff 4 days before the students. I can't wait to board for the first time.

My room is on the bottom deck of the ship so I'll have a port hole window. This picture is taken from the inside wall looking out. You can see the door, the closet on the right, the bathroom is on the left. A small TV is mounted into the shelf with a small fridge in the unit below. A desk with mirror will be perfect for my computer. It will be nice to have the room to myself so I can spread out a bit, as I tend to do where ever I go.

The ship has a salon (and spa) all services are added to your shipboard account and you 'cash out' at the end of the journey. This also applies for all the drinks, so please remind me to check my account from time to time.

There is a small fitness room with a few treadmills and other machines. I've been told its ALWAYS packed.

Obviously there is some great outdoor spaces. You can see the pool in this picture.

The students are on the ship to learn and its my job to remind them of that. Hopefully students will use the library from time to time.

I think the ship has 6 regular class rooms but I have seen many pictures of what looks like class taking place on the outside decks as well.

I can't put into words how excited I am to go on this journey. Hopefully I'll find the words along the way so I can tell you all about it.

OUCH! The pain of vaccinations

2009-06-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

MMR booster

DPT

Polio

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Rabies

Typhoid

Malaria

Yellow Fever

Taking care of the long list of vaccinations has been a struggle to say the least and a bit painful at times. I started the process on April 28^th and am still working on a few of them. I played back and forth with my doctor’s office and a pharmacy multiple times trying to get it worked out but I think I am finally squared away. My doctor put in a request to my insurance to have most of the shots covered as it is for work and it covered two more but it also added a few weeks to the process. I keep telling myself that I have more time then money at this point so I need to be patient.

My doctor told me to go to an urgent care center for polio, yellow fever and my MMR booster. So, having heard great things about the Playa Vista urgent care center from the EMTs at LMU I stopped by. They specialize in travel vaccinations, who knew!? They guy at the desk said that they had just submitted paper work to received the yellow fever vaccine but the guy told me that they expect to have it very soon. Jump to last Saturday when I went to the Playa Vista Farmers Market (its small but nice, check it out all you LMU people) and the urgent care center had a booth so I stopped by to inquire once again about the yellow fever vaccination and it was as if I had told the lady she had won the lottery. First – I would compare her to Kristin Wigg on SNL as the Target Lady. If you don’t know what I am talking about check it out on YouTube. Anyway, her face lit up! “Oh, our FIRST yellow fever patient!” Causing me to look around as if to tell people – I don’t HAVE yellow fever, I need to get the vaccine, thanks a lot lady! “ We just ordered it. Our nurse Karen just stepped away (She was getting some green beans, not that it matters) she’ll know when it should be in. Here she comes” Yelling across the entrance of the farmers market, “KAREN! HE IS ASKING ABOUT YELLOW FEVER!” said the Target-like lady. (I really appreciated her doctor patient confidentiality) Karen approached with her green beans and a smile and told me they submitted the paper work a few weeks ago and it would be in by the middle of this week. I said “Thanks, I’ll stop by next week then, have a great day” and began to walk away when Target-like lady said, “Hey, did you get a first aid kit?” She was very pleased with herself.

So, that is a brief version of the vaccinations. Should anything else fun happen when I actually complete the process at the Playa Vista Urgent Care Center I’ll be sure you know all about it.

The Ship and Itinerary

2009-05-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Semester At Sea program let me provide you with a brief overview. The Semester At Sea program began in 1963 and is described as a “state-of-the-art floating campus…that provides a unique opportunity to create new perspectives and to tap into every individual’s passion for learning and understanding” You can learn more about the program and its history at www.semesteratsea.org. In a very simple sense, SAS it is a college on a cruise ship. The program and academics are through The University of Virginia and Fall/Spring voyages require a minimum of 12 credits. Students are in class while at sea and have opportunities for field study excursions while in each port.

I sail August 24 to December 14, 113 days and 11 countries!

My itinerary is as follows:

Norfolk, Virginia. USA – August 24^:The staff board and reposition the ship to Canada to meet our students

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada – August 28: The students board and the journey officially begins

Cadiz, Spain

Casablanca, Morocco

Accra, Ghana

Cape Town, South Africa

Port Louis, Mauritius

Chennai, India

Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Hong Kong / Shanghai, China

Yokohama / Kobe, Japan

Honolulu / Hilo, Hawaii, USA

San Diego, California, USA

The journey that I will be on is the 100^th voyage so it makes the opportunity that much sweeter. I am incredibly fortunate to be apart of this experience and hope to share with you as much as I can. I imagine that points of the journey will be challenging and others rewarding and meaningful beyond words but I hope to do my best in writing about my experience.

The ship (not a boat) is named the MV Explorer, was built in 2002 and is “one of the safest ships afloat” being in the U.S. and international health and safety ratings 99^th percentile. Thankfully, with all this pirate activity, the MV Explorer is also one of the fastest passenger ships of its kind in the world! You can tour the ship here http://www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/aboard-the-mv-explorer.php

The ship can serve as home to 836 people and travels at a max speed of 28 knots or nearly 30 miles an hour. With 30,000 sq. ft. of outside deck space, 6 passenger decks, 7,500 sq. ft. pool area, three dining decks, plus a faculty and staff lounge (with happy hour every night) I’ll have plenty to explore before the students board.

The Journey Begins

2009-05-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first entry! Lets begin, last September I submitted my application for Semester At Sea and patiently waited with high hopes. SAS had been a dream job for the past three years after learning about it shortly after I arrived at LMU. After not hearing anything for months and finally getting an e-mail in mid March telling me that they had closed their process I was disappointed and trying to figure out what else I was going to do. Obviously things worked out, a position reopened and I received an e-mail asking if I was still interested and available for the fall journey. Now, I got this e-mail on March 31st and on April 1^st I sent set up an interview for the next day. To be honest I thought that maybe someone was playing a very cruel April fools trick on me, but I was going to be ready for my 5pm phone interview.

Cut to Thursday, 5:00…5:01... I told myself ‘Patrick, don’t freak out’ 5:05…I checked my e-mail to make sure I had the correct day. 5:08 I my heart started to race, ‘You have got to be kidding me’ I thought. 5:11 the phone rang! Ok here we go! As I told everyone weeks earlier that I didn’t even get an interview much less the job I felt that had nothing to loose. I was calm and ready to give it my best shot. It is such a great interview. Dr. B and I had a fun conversation and I felt very comfortable talking with him. Half way through I told him that I thought this whole thing may have been a joke and that his calling late almost sent me in to hysterics. He apologized and laughed at me some more. As the conversation continued he told me that he wanted to move the process along quickly and I told him that he should offer me the position that evening, I would immediately accept and the process would be complete. He appreciated the idea but with a laugh said that he couldn’t move that quickly. He did mention that if necessary he would be contacting my references when in mid sentence he cut himself off and said, “Patrick, I don’t know why I am trying to be coy with you, tell your supervisor I’m calling her in the morning” With that he said his plan was to be in touch by the following Wednesday. I only told a few people, as to not set myself up for another disappointment but come Monday night Dr. B gave me a call and offered me a position as one of the eight Living Learning Coordinators on the Fall 2009 journey!

While I don’t set sail until August 24^th, there is a lot to do before hand. Visas, inoculations and flight arrangements not to mention figuring out where to live for the summer, as I have to be out of my current apartment June 15^th. But first the fun stuff… the journey and the ship!