The End of the Voyage, The Beginning of the Journey

After leaving Japan, we had a long trek across the Pacific over to Hawaii.  Let me put this ocean crossing in perspective.  During the entire month of November, we only had six days of classes total.  That's three class sessions per course!  We had ten straight days of class on the way to Hawaii, and I basically did an entire semesters worth of work in that time.  However, by the end of those ten days, it was relieving to have all the work behind me.  It's not every semester that you get a Hawaiian vacation in-between the end of classes and finals.

Our first port of call was Honolulu.  I spent all day laying on Waikiki Beach before checking into the Hyatt for the night.  A friend of mine works at the Hyatt at home, so he got us an employee discount on the room.  We partied all night and spent the next day at the beach as well.  I got back on the Explorer, went to sleep, and woke up on the Big Island in Hilo.  A group of us rented a jeep and drove the northern route to Kona, on the opposite side of the island.  We enjoyed a great plate lunch on the way.  We took the top off the jeep and let the wind rush through out hair as we drove along the coastal highway.  The night in Kona was spent eating and partying in our hotel room and out on the town.  I was sure to make the most of the night, seeing as it was our last night out together in a port on Semester at Sea.  The next morning, we woke up early and drove the long southern route back to Hilo.  We stopped along the way to visit black sand beaches and Volcanoes National Park.  Before I could say aloha, I was back on the Explorer watching the Islands fade away.  As I was walking up the gangway, I realized that I was doing so for the last time.  The next time that I find myself on those steps, I will be walking away from my floating home for good.  I have literally been around the world, but Hawaii is still my favorite place.  I cannot think of a better way to end this amazing voyage.

Tomorrow is my last full day aboard the MV Explorer.  I have taken my finals and the grades are slowly trickling in.  Yesterday we had the Alumni Ball, where we got to dress up, have a fancy dinner, and dance up on Deck 7.  I spent the whole day today packing and taking advantage of what little time I have left with my friends.  It is impossible to fathom that I will be stepping back onto mainland America in less than 2 days.  My next few hours will be spent exchanging pictures, stories, and tearful goodbyes.  A group of people cannot go through such a mind boggling experience like we have and not form strong, everlasting bonds with each other.  The sad reality is, our friends and family at home will never be able to understand what we just went through.  The experience is so moving that it simply cannot be described through words.  Right now, we can all look at each other and understand.  But in a matter of days, we all disperse throughout the country.  People will ask what our voyage was like and they will expect short and simple answers, but nothing we say will give this journey the credit it deserves.  We are all returning home as different people.  I ask everyone reading this right now to work with me as I make this difficult transition back to "regular" life.  For my shipmates who may read this blog in the weeks and months to come, I want to thank you for being an integral part of my journey around the world.  I am certain that 50 years from now, I will look back on the past four months as the greatest time of my life.  Fate brought us to this ship for a reason and I am sure we will cross paths again in the future. 

To all of my friends and family back home, I can't wait to see you--thanks for listening to my ramblings all of these months.  It is going to be an awesome Christmas this year.  Also, I hope everyone is ready for a crazy next semester--watch out Boulder.  I have spent the last few years working towards the absurd task of graduating from college, and in a few short months that is actually going to happen.  After that, it's anybody guess.  As this journey ends, an even bigger one is about to begin.

"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.  The mind can never break off from the Journey." -- Pat Conroy

Once I am home, I will finally be able to post pictures and videos, so stay tuned and I will see you all very soon...

The Land of the Rising Sun

About an hour of my time in Hong Kong was devoted to running around a strange office building, attempting to purchase a Japanese visitor rail pass.  The pass allows unrestricted travel on most Japanese bullet trains to anywhere in the country and it is good for two months.  The only problem is that it cannot be bought in Japan, hence my need to do so in China.  I filled out the paperwork, handed over an exorbitant amount of cash (since they did not take cards), and had a friend pick up my pass the next day while I was busy being homeless in Beijing.

Anyways, on to Japan.  I had quite the adventure in my last international port.  The Explorer docked in Kobe, but I did not spend any time there.  Japanese customs took roughly 3 hours to pass through and my group had big plans to see the country via rail.  With our awesome rail passes in hand, we hopped on the next bullet train bound for Hiroshima.  Japanese trains are the nicest that I have been on--plenty of leg room and excellent service.  Before I knew it, I was walking around a city that the US had nuked not too long ago.  In the immediate area around the hypo-center of the bomb, Japan has built Peace Park in remembrance of the horrible tragedy and as a protest to war.  The park boasts ponds, rivers, flowers, and the remnants of a building that the bomb exploded directly over.  I felt eerie walking around the park and knowing the unimaginable death and destruction that happened there.  I explored the memorial museum that is located in the center of the park.  The walls were covered with the history of WWII and articles found after the explosion.  Directly under pictures of children running through the streets with their skin melting off their bodies, was that same child's clothing or shoes or schoolbag.  There were displays of steel fused with brick and peoples shadows burned into the concrete where they were standing.  The entire experience was sobering and profound.  We grew up learning about the war and how it was won, but seeing the destruction firsthand gives one an entirely different perspective.  The destructive power that humans have created is too great for any nation to possess.  Global nuclear weapon stockpiles are declining for the most part, but some countries are still developing their programs and building bombs.  The existence of such terrible weapons makes our quest for peace and prosperity that much more difficult.

We decided we were depressed enough, and grabbed some delicious dinner at a random little diner before jumping back on a train bound for Kyoto.  I spent two nights in this city in a hostel and a traditional Japanese room where we slept on the floor surrounded my rice paper walls.  We ate copious amounts of incredible sushi and drank sake until we could barely stand.  The nightlife was quiet here, so we enjoyed each others company and explored the Japanese culture.

Before I knew it, I was standing in the main train station of the largest city in the world, Tokyo!  Ever since I was little, I have wanted to visit this city.  From the train station, we were supposed to take the subway to the district where our hostel was located.  The huge subway map in the main hall of the station looked like some kid had scribbled crayon all over the wall.  Eventually, we found our way to the right line and were quickly whisked away to the Asakusa district.  There, we found a long street populated with little shops and food stalls.  People were everywhere, something one should get used to if they plan on spending any time in Tokyo.  I spent the next two days rambling about the city.  One of my friends had a friend who was studying abroad there, so we had someone to show us around.  The streets are ablaze with flashing lights and video advertisements at night.  The young Japanese people walk around with crazy outfits and outrageous hair--and they love to party.  The first thing everybody should add to their to-do list is to drink and sing karaoke with drunken Japanese businessmen.  On multiple occasions, I crossed the most busy intersection in the world.  At any given time, roughly 1,000 people cross the street every time the light changes.  It's like Times Square on crack.  Oh, and the women in Tokyo are by far the most beautiful that I have ever seen.  The shear immensity of the city was daunting.  To get from the main downtown area our to our hostel took a 45 minute ride on the subway.  I never saw a building that was lower than ten stories.

There was something about going into a convenience store and buying a little bottle of sake, going out for a fine sushi dinner, and enjoying the Tokyo night with my closest friends that put my soul at ease.  One night, we stayed up through the night and made our way to the Tokyo fish market when it opened at 4am.  Usually the market is not open to tourists until 9, and even then you usually have to go on a guided tour.  However, we just waltzed right in and wandered about for hours, staring at the massive piles of fish, squid, and octopus.  By the time we got back to the hostel, it was 9am and we went straight to bed.  The next day we jumped on a crowded commuter train for the short ride to Yokohama where we met back up with the Explorer.  Getting back on the ship was strange.  I knew that I would not be setting foot on foreign soil again for quite a while.  As I watched the country fade away into the horizon on the back deck of the ship, I felt sad that I would be returning to familiar territory.  Whether I wanted to or not, we were officially on our way back to America...