The blog came over in this weird type It's kind of like trying to read a word search puzzle. I tried to change it to no avail.. Enjoy
Subject: ２
Ａｔ ｄａｗｎ Ｉ ａｍ ａｗａｋｅｎｅｄ ｂｙ ｔｈｅ ｃｉｔｙ ｃｏｍｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｌｉｆｅ．Ｆｉｓｈｅｒｍｅｎ ｃｈａｔ ｌｏｕｄｌｙ ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒ ａｓ ｔｈｅｙ ｔｒｙ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｌｕｃｋ ａｌｏｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｐｉｅｒ． Ｊｏｇｇｅｒｓ ｒｕｎ ｔｈｒｏｕｇｈ ｔｈｅ ｐａｒｋａｎｄ ｓｃｈｏｏｌ ｇｉｒｌｓ ｇｏｓｓｉｐ ｏｎ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｗａｙ ｔｏ ｃｌａｓｓ． Ｉ ｔａｋｅ ｔｈｉｓ ｉｎ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ ｃｏｆｆｅｅ ｏｎ ｄｅｃｋ． ２ ｐａｉｒｓｏｆ ｆｉｓｈｉｎｇ ｅａｇｌｅｓ ｆｌｙ ｏｖｅｒｈｅａｄ． Ｍｙ ｎｅｉｇｈｂｏｒｓ ｆｒｏｍＮＺ ｔｅｌｌ ｍｅ ｔｈｅｙ ｈａｖｅ ｂｅｃｏｍｅ ａｄｅｐｔ ａｔ ｓｗｏｏｐｉｎｇ
ｄｏｗｎ ｂｅｈｉｎｄ ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ａｎｄ ｇｒａｂｂｉｎｇ ｐｉｚｚａ ｏｒ ｏｔｈｅｒ
ｆｏｏｄ． Ｉｎ ｆａｃｔ ｓｔｒｉｎｇ ｈａｓ ｂｅｅｎ ｄｒａｐｅｄ ａｃｒｏｓｓ ｔｈｅ
ｔｒｅｅｓ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｐａｒｋ ｔｏ ｐｒｅｖｅｎｔ ｔｈｉｓ．Ｓｔｉｌｌ Ｉ ｌｏｖｅ
ｔｈｅｉｒ ｓｈｒｉｌ ｃｒｉｅｓ ａｎｄ ｉｔｓ ａ ｇｏｏｄ ｄａｙ． Ｔｏｄａｙ ｗｅ
ｃａｕｇｈｔ ａ ｔｒｏｌｌｙ ａｃｒｏｓｓ ｔｏｗｎ ｔｏ ｓｅｅ ｔｈｅ Ｐｅａｃｅ Ｐａｒｋａｎｄ Ｎａｇａｓａｋｉ Ａｔｏｍｉｃ Ｂｏｍｂ Ｍｕｓｅｕｍ． Ｇｒａｐｈｉｃ ａｎｄ ｗｅｌｌｂａｌａｎｃｅｄ． Ｉ ｅｖｅｎ ｃａｕｇｈｔ ｔｈｅ ｒｉｇｈｔ ｔｒｏｌｌｙ ｂａｃｋ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｂｏａｔ． Ｗｅ ｈａｖｅ ｔｉｄａｌ ｆｌｏｗ ｉｎｆｏ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｌａｎｄ ｓｅａ （ｒｕｎｓ ｕｐ ｔｏ ８ ｋｔｓ） ａｎｄ ｗｉｌｌ ｐｕｓｈ ｏｆｆ ａｔ ｄａｗｎ
Friday, May 30, 2008
Jeff's Log ~ Monday, May 26th 2008
Things in Nakasaki are good. Today, Scott, Yracy, Ranon, and I went to the atomic bomb museum. It was quite a humbling experience. To me it seemed politically balanced. The artifacts on display showed the incredible power that was unleashed on a city that was last on the list of targets, and had the bad luck of a break in the clouds happening on that fateful morning. I never thought that I would ever see anything like that in my life. They asked that no photos be taken inside, and I honored that. It is sometimes hard for me to understand how civilized people could ever imagine using such a weapon, and the things that I saw today I will take a few days to process before my real emotions kick in. I am truly glad that I had the chance to see it.
On the upside, I got most of my chores completed, and got the boat looking real good for a little cocktail party that happened this evening. On the next dock is a couple from Australia who have been in Japan for over a year. They are planning to cruise up the Red Sea in the future. We traded lots of good info. And They enjoyed Pipe Dream's comfort and space. Tomorrow, we are leaving before dawn, so for me it will be a MacDonald’s quarter pounder with cheese and French fries for dinner and an early night to bed. I wish that I had another day or two to spend in Nagasaki, but I must always be ready to go. Remember that I am working, and this is not a vacation for me. I do miss all of my friends from home, and all of you guys are in my heart don‘t forget to write.
On the upside, I got most of my chores completed, and got the boat looking real good for a little cocktail party that happened this evening. On the next dock is a couple from Australia who have been in Japan for over a year. They are planning to cruise up the Red Sea in the future. We traded lots of good info. And They enjoyed Pipe Dream's comfort and space. Tomorrow, we are leaving before dawn, so for me it will be a MacDonald’s quarter pounder with cheese and French fries for dinner and an early night to bed. I wish that I had another day or two to spend in Nagasaki, but I must always be ready to go. Remember that I am working, and this is not a vacation for me. I do miss all of my friends from home, and all of you guys are in my heart don‘t forget to write.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Sunday, May 25, 2008 7:48 PM
Subject: RE: P Dream Japan Kyushu
Left amami oshima in nice weather which lasted at least 4 hours. Then wind to 26, rain and seas that became very rough. Rough because strong currents conflicted with switching wind direction. Still the wind was mostly behind and we flew under sail. We had planned to stop at Yaku Sima but flew bye it in the pre dawn. So on to the mainlan--Kyushu and the small town of Noma on its southern tip. The barometer was falling, rain intensified and as we neared the coast we had fog. To enter Noma we had to round a spectacular peninsula. In the fog we got to a 1/4 mile of it before we saw it. The fog rose as it came into view. Sheer cliffs eaten by the sea into works of art reminding me of the "organ grinder" that guards the entrance to Hobart in Tasmania. The rising fog now spilled over the top like a cloud waterfall. Once inside the massive seawall we were delighted to find a floating dock with 2 sailboats. This was a resort and a man with a necktie came out in the pouring rain to help us tie up. We had dinner there and several parties we going on. Now Osaka seems possible
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 8:18 PM
Subject: Nagasaki
The rain in Noma quit in the morning as we left and the weather has been improving steadily. An easy power boat ride of 90nm to the sunset marina outside Nagasaki. On arrival we were told we could not stay due to repairs scheduled and were sent to the Dijima Marina in the heart of the town. A godsend as Dijimi boarders a large park and many sidewalk cafes overlook our boat. Also it’s free. We have an extra day to explore the town but must leave at 5am on the 27th and keep pressing in order to make Osaka 400nm away. Skymate not working to send out mail but we can receive. So send news!
Left amami oshima in nice weather which lasted at least 4 hours. Then wind to 26, rain and seas that became very rough. Rough because strong currents conflicted with switching wind direction. Still the wind was mostly behind and we flew under sail. We had planned to stop at Yaku Sima but flew bye it in the pre dawn. So on to the mainlan--Kyushu and the small town of Noma on its southern tip. The barometer was falling, rain intensified and as we neared the coast we had fog. To enter Noma we had to round a spectacular peninsula. In the fog we got to a 1/4 mile of it before we saw it. The fog rose as it came into view. Sheer cliffs eaten by the sea into works of art reminding me of the "organ grinder" that guards the entrance to Hobart in Tasmania. The rising fog now spilled over the top like a cloud waterfall. Once inside the massive seawall we were delighted to find a floating dock with 2 sailboats. This was a resort and a man with a necktie came out in the pouring rain to help us tie up. We had dinner there and several parties we going on. Now Osaka seems possible
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 8:18 PM
Subject: Nagasaki
The rain in Noma quit in the morning as we left and the weather has been improving steadily. An easy power boat ride of 90nm to the sunset marina outside Nagasaki. On arrival we were told we could not stay due to repairs scheduled and were sent to the Dijima Marina in the heart of the town. A godsend as Dijimi boarders a large park and many sidewalk cafes overlook our boat. Also it’s free. We have an extra day to explore the town but must leave at 5am on the 27th and keep pressing in order to make Osaka 400nm away. Skymate not working to send out mail but we can receive. So send news!
Jeff's Log ~ Saturday, May 24th, 2008
Noma, Japan, Island of Kyushu
We stopped at Amama-O- Shimi for an overnight stay. The port looked like it once was the center of a hustling city. Now, it seems, the port buildings are being demolished slowly, and the place is being reworked. We tied Pipe Dream to the sea wall and made sure that every fender available was out to protect her from the large tractor tires on the sea wall. Again, as soon as we got there, it seems that everyone in town heard of our arrival. The customs officials already had copies of all of our paperwork, so checking in was a breeze. The Japanese coast guard was fantastic with their weather reports, and seemed eager to help with whatever we needed.
I went up to the gas station about a block away and inquired about diesel fuel. I no sooner got back to the boat to pick up the jerry cans, than a truck pulled up to the boat loaded with diesel fuel. The driver spoke no English, but he did have the correct forms to supply to customs and coast guard officials. We proceeded to top off the fuel tanks, and filled all of our jerry cans. That made my chores a lot easier. Next on the list was ATM, Lunch, etc.
Things went smoothly, and Mark and I found time to walk around town a bit. We both wanted to send some e=mails, so we set out in search of an internet café. As we were walking through a sort of open air shopping mall, there were three young school girls who came up to me and asked if I spoke English. I told them yes, and they proceeded to introduce themselves and said hello. The spokes person was a girl by the name of Homi. I asked them if they knew where we could get on the internet, and they took us to a civic center type of place. We signed in and sat down, and were served tea. After about a half hour, the girl at the desk said she was sorry, but time was up. I asked her how much, and she would take no money. It was free.
In the meantime, the place had filled up with tables full o9f elderly women. My guess is that it was afternoon tea time. They kept trying to feed us and invited us to sit with them. We respectfully declined, and a couple of them started stuffing hard candies in our hands. The three school girls asked us to go have our pictures taken with them, and we went along with them to a photo arcade. Homi put some coins in the slot, and we sat in a very large photo booth while they climbed around and acted nuts behind us. Neither one of us had ever seen anything like this. After the picture were taken, we all went to a viewing screen where they can customize the pictures and add all kinds of stuff to them. We all had a lot of fun with that, and then we said goodbye and returned to the boat.
We all went to dinner together at a local restaurant. Tracy, Ranon, and Scott returned to the boat, and Mark and I set off to sample some of the night life. We went into a stylish building with four bars on the top floor. We settled on a place that was finished nicely and had a few people inside. It turned out to be way too expensive as they charge by the hour for the table to listen to karaoke, plus the cost of drinks. The waitress then walked us over to her girlfriend’s place which was a very small bar on the second floor of a building not far away. She introduced us to Marissa, and we agreed on a price for the evening. We paid 5,000 yen for all we could eat and drink. That’s less than fifty dollars for the two of us. It also was karaoke, with about eight other people besides us. After a few drinks, I started singing karaoke with the best of them. They had a pretty cool setup with an electronic device on which you picked songs by artist, song name, record label or whatever.
We all sang ,laughed and carried on until the owner-mamasan through us out. Lots of fun was had by all. When we got back to the boat, the tide had dropped considerably. I sat down on the sea wall and got one foot on the tire and stepped elegantly onto the boat. Mark tried not to sit on the sea wall, and mis-stepped and ended up with two thirds of his legs in the water, hanging onto the lifeline stanchion. So much for being quiet! I helped him onto the boat, and Scott poked his head out and asked if anyone needed a doctor. We told him no, just a clothes dryer.
The next morning, as I was cleaning the exhaust soot from the transom, one of the fellows that was there rode by on his bike and shouted and waved from half a block away. Later, on the way to the grocery store, we crossed paths with one of the ladies that was there. She smiled, said hellow and bowed when she saw us.
While Mark was grocery shopping, I thought that I would see about more time on the phone. The customer service girl spoke no English and did not have a clue about what I was trying to say. A fellow walked up and asked if he could help. His name was Shusi. He walked with me in the rain for about ten minutes to the phone place, and explained to them what I needed. The girl was about to hand me the card, and all of a sudden changed her mind and wanted to see the phone. It was on the boat, so we walked back to get the groceries, to the boat, and back to the phone store. Shusi stayed with me the entire time, just in case translation was needed. He works on a tuna fishing boat, and was glad that he could help a fellow seaman. I sure was glad to meet him, and thanked him very much.
We then threw the lines and took off for Kyushu in the rain. We had good wind behind us and lots of rain, so it was a fairly quick, wet trip. Sailing with a strong wind from behind at night is a little nerve wracking, because if you come off of a wave the wrong way, the wind can change sides and make the sail jibe unintentionally. When that happens, it can be dangerous. We try to keep the wind forward as much as possible, but it just kept clocking back. We decided to rig what is called a preventer, so we could maximize our speed and course.
To rig the preventer I have to take a line and tie it to the outboard end of the boom and run it all the way forward to the bow cleat, and down the other side to a cockpit winch. It always happens at night, it seems. I use all of the safety stuff, and stay harnessed to the boat. It is secretly kind of thrilling to be on the foredeck with waves breaking over the bow in the rain at night. Just in case of the worst happening, and ending up in the water, I do wear a locator strobe on my arm that I can easily activate.
We arrived in Noma and rafted up on a floating dock. The dock attendant was obviously taken by surprise as he was out in the pouring rain in a white shirt and tie. After helping with our lines, he waited and walked us up to register. The poor fellow was completely soaked.
After a cocktail or two on the boat, we went in and had dinner at the small yacht club restaurant. Everything was presented beautifully and we enjoyed our tasty sashimi dinner. They had vanilla ice cream for dessert, and we all really enjoyed that. It is now 9:00AM on May 25. We have been under way since 0545, en-route to Nagasaki. The weather is cool, and partly cloudy.
We stopped at Amama-O- Shimi for an overnight stay. The port looked like it once was the center of a hustling city. Now, it seems, the port buildings are being demolished slowly, and the place is being reworked. We tied Pipe Dream to the sea wall and made sure that every fender available was out to protect her from the large tractor tires on the sea wall. Again, as soon as we got there, it seems that everyone in town heard of our arrival. The customs officials already had copies of all of our paperwork, so checking in was a breeze. The Japanese coast guard was fantastic with their weather reports, and seemed eager to help with whatever we needed.
I went up to the gas station about a block away and inquired about diesel fuel. I no sooner got back to the boat to pick up the jerry cans, than a truck pulled up to the boat loaded with diesel fuel. The driver spoke no English, but he did have the correct forms to supply to customs and coast guard officials. We proceeded to top off the fuel tanks, and filled all of our jerry cans. That made my chores a lot easier. Next on the list was ATM, Lunch, etc.
Things went smoothly, and Mark and I found time to walk around town a bit. We both wanted to send some e=mails, so we set out in search of an internet café. As we were walking through a sort of open air shopping mall, there were three young school girls who came up to me and asked if I spoke English. I told them yes, and they proceeded to introduce themselves and said hello. The spokes person was a girl by the name of Homi. I asked them if they knew where we could get on the internet, and they took us to a civic center type of place. We signed in and sat down, and were served tea. After about a half hour, the girl at the desk said she was sorry, but time was up. I asked her how much, and she would take no money. It was free.
In the meantime, the place had filled up with tables full o9f elderly women. My guess is that it was afternoon tea time. They kept trying to feed us and invited us to sit with them. We respectfully declined, and a couple of them started stuffing hard candies in our hands. The three school girls asked us to go have our pictures taken with them, and we went along with them to a photo arcade. Homi put some coins in the slot, and we sat in a very large photo booth while they climbed around and acted nuts behind us. Neither one of us had ever seen anything like this. After the picture were taken, we all went to a viewing screen where they can customize the pictures and add all kinds of stuff to them. We all had a lot of fun with that, and then we said goodbye and returned to the boat.
We all went to dinner together at a local restaurant. Tracy, Ranon, and Scott returned to the boat, and Mark and I set off to sample some of the night life. We went into a stylish building with four bars on the top floor. We settled on a place that was finished nicely and had a few people inside. It turned out to be way too expensive as they charge by the hour for the table to listen to karaoke, plus the cost of drinks. The waitress then walked us over to her girlfriend’s place which was a very small bar on the second floor of a building not far away. She introduced us to Marissa, and we agreed on a price for the evening. We paid 5,000 yen for all we could eat and drink. That’s less than fifty dollars for the two of us. It also was karaoke, with about eight other people besides us. After a few drinks, I started singing karaoke with the best of them. They had a pretty cool setup with an electronic device on which you picked songs by artist, song name, record label or whatever.
We all sang ,laughed and carried on until the owner-mamasan through us out. Lots of fun was had by all. When we got back to the boat, the tide had dropped considerably. I sat down on the sea wall and got one foot on the tire and stepped elegantly onto the boat. Mark tried not to sit on the sea wall, and mis-stepped and ended up with two thirds of his legs in the water, hanging onto the lifeline stanchion. So much for being quiet! I helped him onto the boat, and Scott poked his head out and asked if anyone needed a doctor. We told him no, just a clothes dryer.
The next morning, as I was cleaning the exhaust soot from the transom, one of the fellows that was there rode by on his bike and shouted and waved from half a block away. Later, on the way to the grocery store, we crossed paths with one of the ladies that was there. She smiled, said hellow and bowed when she saw us.
While Mark was grocery shopping, I thought that I would see about more time on the phone. The customer service girl spoke no English and did not have a clue about what I was trying to say. A fellow walked up and asked if he could help. His name was Shusi. He walked with me in the rain for about ten minutes to the phone place, and explained to them what I needed. The girl was about to hand me the card, and all of a sudden changed her mind and wanted to see the phone. It was on the boat, so we walked back to get the groceries, to the boat, and back to the phone store. Shusi stayed with me the entire time, just in case translation was needed. He works on a tuna fishing boat, and was glad that he could help a fellow seaman. I sure was glad to meet him, and thanked him very much.
We then threw the lines and took off for Kyushu in the rain. We had good wind behind us and lots of rain, so it was a fairly quick, wet trip. Sailing with a strong wind from behind at night is a little nerve wracking, because if you come off of a wave the wrong way, the wind can change sides and make the sail jibe unintentionally. When that happens, it can be dangerous. We try to keep the wind forward as much as possible, but it just kept clocking back. We decided to rig what is called a preventer, so we could maximize our speed and course.
To rig the preventer I have to take a line and tie it to the outboard end of the boom and run it all the way forward to the bow cleat, and down the other side to a cockpit winch. It always happens at night, it seems. I use all of the safety stuff, and stay harnessed to the boat. It is secretly kind of thrilling to be on the foredeck with waves breaking over the bow in the rain at night. Just in case of the worst happening, and ending up in the water, I do wear a locator strobe on my arm that I can easily activate.
We arrived in Noma and rafted up on a floating dock. The dock attendant was obviously taken by surprise as he was out in the pouring rain in a white shirt and tie. After helping with our lines, he waited and walked us up to register. The poor fellow was completely soaked.
After a cocktail or two on the boat, we went in and had dinner at the small yacht club restaurant. Everything was presented beautifully and we enjoyed our tasty sashimi dinner. They had vanilla ice cream for dessert, and we all really enjoyed that. It is now 9:00AM on May 25. We have been under way since 0545, en-route to Nagasaki. The weather is cool, and partly cloudy.
Captain Scott ~ Thursday, May 22, 2008 8:58 PM
Subject: P Dream Japan
Now in Nazi (city) on island Amami OShima 28 23n 130 39e. We sailed deep into the inner harbor which is undergoing some renovenation. So no commercial boats and no other cruisers. We are tied to the cement dock in the center of the city all by ourselves. Officials made us welcome, coast guard gave us weather, and a fuel truck showed up unasked and sold us cheap diesel. Nazi is small and surrounded by lush hills. Low clouds spill over them in a misty Japanese way. We had a great dinner which can be difficult with the language problem. When the waitress finds you know no Japanese she repeats herself only louder. Then girls in a nearby booth begin to giggle. Mark and Jeff found a bar and stayed out late. On our dock its a step up at high tide. With a 8ft tide you need a parachute at low tide. Mark found that being drunk did not help getting back aboard and fell in the water.
Now in Nazi (city) on island Amami OShima 28 23n 130 39e. We sailed deep into the inner harbor which is undergoing some renovenation. So no commercial boats and no other cruisers. We are tied to the cement dock in the center of the city all by ourselves. Officials made us welcome, coast guard gave us weather, and a fuel truck showed up unasked and sold us cheap diesel. Nazi is small and surrounded by lush hills. Low clouds spill over them in a misty Japanese way. We had a great dinner which can be difficult with the language problem. When the waitress finds you know no Japanese she repeats herself only louder. Then girls in a nearby booth begin to giggle. Mark and Jeff found a bar and stayed out late. On our dock its a step up at high tide. With a 8ft tide you need a parachute at low tide. Mark found that being drunk did not help getting back aboard and fell in the water.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
9:04 PM
Weather here is wet under an occluded front but sea state and wind good. A new low is forming near the Phillipeans and so we will push on. We leave today for Yaku Sima 30 20n 130 39e. From there we will either go west around Kyushu toward Nagaski as originally planned OR go east in a sprint to Osaka.
Weather here is wet under an occluded front but sea state and wind good. A new low is forming near the Phillipeans and so we will push on. We leave today for Yaku Sima 30 20n 130 39e. From there we will either go west around Kyushu toward Nagaski as originally planned OR go east in a sprint to Osaka.
Jeff's Log ~ Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
We left Ishigaki two days ago at about 11:00AM, because Scott got ants in his pants, and just could not stand to be there any longer. He and Mark went for the weather, and as soon as he saw the tropical depression was abeam of us, he said that was all he needed. Mark looked at the wind field report and wanted to wait until Tuesday morning. Scott over ruled him and we drove out of the marina. When we left, the wind was 18 knots. It soon built to 28 knots, and we anchored at noon after traveling a whopping seven miles. I don’t think I will ever understand that move. Mark and I kind of got hurt feelings because we could have had one more night hanging with all of our new friends, but what can ya do?
We sure did enjoy Café Taniwha. Saturday night, they had a Japanese folk singer there who jammed with anyone who could play an instrument or sing. Lots of people joined in playing the piano, the guitar, bongos and drums. One very talented young lady sang a couple of solos and then a duet with the folk singer. A couple of our friends from previous evenings were there. The singer is the son of the man who manufactures the rice liquor that we were drinking.
Sunday, a female singer by the name of Nanami performed there. We had met her the first night, and were impressed with her talent. She put on a great show and at times reminded me of Gloria Estefan. She was accompanied by a fellow playing the guitar who was just incredible. After her performance, we all hung out and just had a good time. I shot some darts with my favorite English student named Nobu. We had a lot of fun with him and a guy named Iraki on one of the previous nights. Kuri has an English class once a week for some of his patrons. We came in right after class was over, and Kuri announced that we could help them practice English. I announced back to everyone that we could help them talk English good! They all knew enough about sentence structure to get a laugh out of that. Mark and I sat down at a table and were soon surrounded by people. We had a real good time, and Nobu would get excited and start mixing Japanese and English, and we would all say ENGLISH!!! Then he started drawing pictures and writing stuff and we all added to the VIP (very important paper). I have that paper, and will try to keep it forever as a reminder of a really great place full of really great people.
While we were in Ishigaki, people came to see the boat almost every day. The girls that we met in Café Taniwha came the next morning with Kuri. There was Nanami, the singer, Ria a writer, and Junko, who sells beer and other items for Kirin brewery. They brought along a couple from another boat in the marina by the name of Kiko and her husband Masa. They all loved Pipe Dream, and were especially thrilled with drinking water that had been made from the sea. Kuri knew about water makers, but none of the others did. Ria and Junko invited us to dinner that night at a local restaurant. We went and had a great meal with lots of laughs. The food was local fare with a lot of raw fish, tofu, and other things that hardly any Americans eat. I am keeping an open mind about Japanese food and so far I will eat everything that I’ve had again. I am finally learning how to eat with chop sticks too. I even like sea weed!
On Sunday night, the whole crew of the boat went to hear Nanami sing. Kuri has many flags of many countries displayed along the ceiling of Taniwha. Scott took one of our old American flags that was a little frayed at the upper corner and slightly gray from exhaust staining. It had flown from Pipe Dream around the world. He presented it to Kuri, and everyone wanted to get in the pictures taken by everyone. Unfortunately, my little faithful camera is now Kaput, so I will have to see about someone emailing them to me. Hopefully, I’ll get that worked out.
It sure was hard to say goodbye to such a great bunch. There were many hand shakes, bows and hugs all around, and a few teary eyes, especially mine. The best thing about my job, is meeting people from around the world. It is really amazing to me that people open up to me everywhere I go. I feel truly blessed with all of the good friends that I have made during my travels so far, and am very thankful to have this opportunity. If anybody knows George Bush, tell him that he should be paying me big bucks to be an Ambassador!
One thing about Japan is that western electronics will not work here. Kuri got a telephone for me, so at least I can call home. I could not find a pay phone that would make international calls. They also have radio frequencies jammed, and Scott’s Sky mate will not work. Sky mate is in the process of getting permission granted, but until they do, we are out of touch with the rest of the world. We will be at sea for the next day, or so, and hopefully the next port-of-call will be as nice or nicer. Ishigaki will be tough to beat, though.
We sure did enjoy Café Taniwha. Saturday night, they had a Japanese folk singer there who jammed with anyone who could play an instrument or sing. Lots of people joined in playing the piano, the guitar, bongos and drums. One very talented young lady sang a couple of solos and then a duet with the folk singer. A couple of our friends from previous evenings were there. The singer is the son of the man who manufactures the rice liquor that we were drinking.
Sunday, a female singer by the name of Nanami performed there. We had met her the first night, and were impressed with her talent. She put on a great show and at times reminded me of Gloria Estefan. She was accompanied by a fellow playing the guitar who was just incredible. After her performance, we all hung out and just had a good time. I shot some darts with my favorite English student named Nobu. We had a lot of fun with him and a guy named Iraki on one of the previous nights. Kuri has an English class once a week for some of his patrons. We came in right after class was over, and Kuri announced that we could help them practice English. I announced back to everyone that we could help them talk English good! They all knew enough about sentence structure to get a laugh out of that. Mark and I sat down at a table and were soon surrounded by people. We had a real good time, and Nobu would get excited and start mixing Japanese and English, and we would all say ENGLISH!!! Then he started drawing pictures and writing stuff and we all added to the VIP (very important paper). I have that paper, and will try to keep it forever as a reminder of a really great place full of really great people.
While we were in Ishigaki, people came to see the boat almost every day. The girls that we met in Café Taniwha came the next morning with Kuri. There was Nanami, the singer, Ria a writer, and Junko, who sells beer and other items for Kirin brewery. They brought along a couple from another boat in the marina by the name of Kiko and her husband Masa. They all loved Pipe Dream, and were especially thrilled with drinking water that had been made from the sea. Kuri knew about water makers, but none of the others did. Ria and Junko invited us to dinner that night at a local restaurant. We went and had a great meal with lots of laughs. The food was local fare with a lot of raw fish, tofu, and other things that hardly any Americans eat. I am keeping an open mind about Japanese food and so far I will eat everything that I’ve had again. I am finally learning how to eat with chop sticks too. I even like sea weed!
On Sunday night, the whole crew of the boat went to hear Nanami sing. Kuri has many flags of many countries displayed along the ceiling of Taniwha. Scott took one of our old American flags that was a little frayed at the upper corner and slightly gray from exhaust staining. It had flown from Pipe Dream around the world. He presented it to Kuri, and everyone wanted to get in the pictures taken by everyone. Unfortunately, my little faithful camera is now Kaput, so I will have to see about someone emailing them to me. Hopefully, I’ll get that worked out.
It sure was hard to say goodbye to such a great bunch. There were many hand shakes, bows and hugs all around, and a few teary eyes, especially mine. The best thing about my job, is meeting people from around the world. It is really amazing to me that people open up to me everywhere I go. I feel truly blessed with all of the good friends that I have made during my travels so far, and am very thankful to have this opportunity. If anybody knows George Bush, tell him that he should be paying me big bucks to be an Ambassador!
One thing about Japan is that western electronics will not work here. Kuri got a telephone for me, so at least I can call home. I could not find a pay phone that would make international calls. They also have radio frequencies jammed, and Scott’s Sky mate will not work. Sky mate is in the process of getting permission granted, but until they do, we are out of touch with the rest of the world. We will be at sea for the next day, or so, and hopefully the next port-of-call will be as nice or nicer. Ishigaki will be tough to beat, though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
+(2).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
