Haegen's Home Page

Hedo Point

2007-08-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

The one place I wanted to get to before I left Okinawa was Hedo Point. My friend (and the last ENT on the island), Jerry Castro, has lots of stories about Hedo Point. So Mike Hoffmann and I made the 2 hour drive... and it was worth it!

Hedo Point...

Mike made Ceviche while Beth and I had fish tacos. As excited as I am to get back to authenic Mexican food in Cali next week, I have to say these may have been the best fist tacos I have ever had...

4 blue parrots, 2 red parrots, and a coral trout.

Fore more information about the Okinawa spearfising club see:

http://www.okispearfisher.blogspot.com/

Goodbye Okinawa; Thanks for a wonderful 2 years!!!

Floating Village

2007-08-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

For our last day of vacation we traveled to the countryside to visit a floating village.

We traveled to the floating village of Chong Khneas.

There are many floating villages on the Great lake of Tonle Sap. The Tonlé Sap is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. Chong Khneas is the Floating village that most visitors see. There are well over 5000 people living in over 1300 houseboats. While Tourism is bringing in extra income; fishing is the lifeblood of the lake communities. The Fishing industry is one of the most important in Cambodia. Over 2 million people live on or around the lake. It is big business as fishing earns millions of dollars.

For more pictures, see:

http://www.peaceofangkorweb.com/TonleSap.htm

Most of the locals live on house boats and most services- including police, health, school, religion, retail (see below) and Karaoke- are all provided on the water.

Local "traveling salesman."

Although finishing is the main occupation, crocodile farms appear to do well.

On our way back from the village, we stopped at the Cambodian Land Mine Museum.

Three decades of war in Cambodia have left scars in many forms throughout the country.
Unfortunately, one of the most lasting legacies of the conflicts continues to claim new victims daily. Land mines, laid by the Khmer Rouge, the Heng Samrin and Hun Sen regimes, the Vietnamese, the KPNLF, and the Sihanoukists litter the countryside. In most cases, even the soldiers who planted the mines did not record where they were placed. Now, Cambodia has the one of the highest rates of physical disability of any country in the world. While census data for Cambodia is sketchy, it is generally accepted that more than 40,000 Cambodians have suffered amputations as a result of mine injuries since 1979. That represents an average of nearly forty victims a week for a period of twenty years. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) estimates that there may be as many as four to six million mines and unexploded ordinances in Cambodia.

History of Land Mine museum:

http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/history.html

Many of the different land mines recovered by Aki Ra, Former Khmer Rouge Soldier, who founded the museum and now works as a de-miner.

Also see:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week647/cover.html

Bayon

2007-08-06T01:24:00.000-07:00

There are many other Temples to be found around Siem Reap. Some of the more interesting include the following:

Bayon Temple

At the centre of the great city of Angkor Thom, lies the Bayon Temple. . Built in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII, this 3-storeyed temple, 43 m in height , stayed for a long time an enigma. The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. Over 200 large faces adorn the 54 towers at Bayon. Although controversial, the similarity of the gigantic faces on the temple's towers to other statues of the king has led many scholars to the conclusion that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII himself.

http://www.aangkortourguide.com/angkortemples/bayon.htm

The "many faces" of Bayon.

East Mebon

Beth asks our guide, Sam, where are the granite countertops?

Some of these structures could use additional support.

Neak Pean, notable for its medicinal function.

Preah Khan

2007-08-06T01:17:00.000-07:00

Preah Khan or “The sacred sword of King” is the second largest temple enclosure in Angkor. Within its square kilometer enclosure lies a temple complex which is almost as atmospheric as Ta Prohm. Like the nearby Ta Prohm, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins. Preah Khan had an army of 80,000 to service and maintain it. It must have been an amazing sight.

The east gate.

This temple is also referred to as Tomb Raider #2.

Ta Prohm

2007-08-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

Ta Phrom Temple, unlike most of the other Angkorian temples, has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.

Roots of a silk cotton tree running along the gallery of the second enclosure.

The temple of Ta Prohm was used as a location in the film Tomb Raider. Although the film took visual liberties with other Angkorian temples, its scenes of Ta Prohm were quite faithful to the temple's actual appearance, and made use of its eerie qualities.

Needless to say, this was my favorite temple!

http://www.aangkortourguide.com/angkortemples/taprohm.htm

Angkor Wat

2007-08-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

While in Siem Reap, we experienced an Apsara dance performance, craft shops, the rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages, a land-mine museum, and, of coarse, “the ancient city in the jungle.”

Our first temple stop was the incredible Angkor Wat.

The 12th century city of Angkor covered an area of over 100 Sq Kms with a population of over 1 million. Angkor Wat, the Worlds largest religious building covers one and a half square Kms and contains more stone than was used to build the great pyramid of Giza. The 200 meter wide moat and causeway with the 350 meter entrance portico is impressive enough, but the grandeur within its square mile of walls is truly stunning. Over 1 kilometer of spectacular carvings lie within its outer galleries and a vast labyrinth of passages, courtyards and the distinctive five lotus flower towers at its center.

On the way to the top...

The view from the top...

A local child at the east entrance.

Siem Reap

2007-08-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

We reluctantly left Chu Chu and Vietnam and flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. Siem Reap is a small charming gateway town to the world famous heritage, the Angkor temples. Thanks to those attractions, Siem Reap has transformed itself into a major tourist hub. Siem Reap nowadays is a vibrant town with modern hotels and architectures. Despite international influences, Siem Reap and its people have conserved much of the town's image, culture and tradition.

Getting to know the town.

Traditional rural thatched-roof house serving as home and business.

Making friends with the local sales people.

Not a lucky day for these pigs on the "way to to the market!"

Map of Siem Reap:

http://www.canbypublications.com/maps/srmapmain.htm

Canyoning

2007-08-03T00:43:00.000-07:00

Although considered a Honeymoon mecca, Dalat is also known as the only place to offer Canyoning. Our trip was arranged through Phat Tire Ventures and again we were very pleased with this company. From their website canyoning is described as “navigating your way through a canyon. In this case, the canyon runs through a series of spectacular water falls and in some sections the topography requires ropes to navigate our way successfully.” A fancy way to describe rapelling …

http://phattireventures.homestead.com/files/home.html

After relearning the basics, Beth is ready to go.

Halfway down...

No one told her there was water at the bottom!

Finishing the trip down one of the natural water slides.

Dalat

2007-08-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

After three days in Nha Trang, we were picked up by our guide, Chu Chu, and traveled by car to Dalat.

Along the way we stopped at a small ethnic village in the Central highlands.

The locals came out to greet us.

Several hours later we arrived at our hotel in Dalat. Dalat city is probably one of Vietnam's most well known vacation destinations. Since the turn of the century, Da Lat has been the vacation spot for well-to-do vietnamese and foreigners. It is the unofficial honeymoon mecca of Vietnam. Located on Lám Viꮠ(Langbian) high lands, part of the greater Central highlands of Vietnam (Cao Nguyen Trung Phan), the city is 1500 m above sea level and is 305 km from Saigon.

How great is it that a communist country uses a Jeep for a police car?

Nha Trang

2007-07-30T00:22:00.000-07:00

After returning to Hanoi, we travel by air to Nha Trang. From the airport we took a cab and then a boat and then a...

another car (great for the Colorado river house).

Arriving at our hotel, the Vinpearl, located on Bamboo Island.

On top of the hotel...

The pool and beach...

The city of Nha Trang is becoming more popular with the tourists in recent years. Yet, with a population of 300,000, Nha Trang still retains its small town atmosphere. This resort town is well known for its miles of beach and the friendliness of its people. The city is flanked by nearly ten kilometers of prime beach where the water is warm year round.

While in Nha Trang I went on a dive trip to some nearby islands. The dive trip was arranged through Coco Divers. I had a very good experience with their staff and boat and highly recommend them.

http://www.cocodivecenter.com/

Ha Long Bay II

2007-07-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

Panoramic view of Ha Long Bay (click on picture)

Below are pictures of a floating village.

Morning glass on ha Long Bay. Not ruined yet with wave runners.

Ha Long Bay I

2007-07-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

On day #2 we took a 4 hour ride to Ha Long bay.

Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. The Bay is a World Heritage Site and, like many attractions in Asia claims to be “the Eighth Wonder of the World.”

We boarded our boat, the Lagoon Explorer.

Our restaurant...

Our room...

Our view...

Our shower!

Hanoi

2007-07-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

For the past two years, Beth and and I been fortunate to travel to some amazing places. As our time in Okinawa is almost complete, we planned our last vacation to the countries of Vietnam and Cambodia. We both believed we saved the best for last...

Our first stop, Hanoi City. The landmark Tortoise Tower rises from Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake.

Exploring the streets of Hanoi...

and making new friends.

Busy streets near the hotel cluttered with motorcycles. Amazingly it was quiet at night!

4th of July

2007-07-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

For our last fourth of July in Okinawa, Beth and I traveled to IE (Ieshima) island. It is about a one hour drive from our home and then a 30 minute ferry ride.

Beth and Bijou on the ferry.

One of the main scenic spots is Gusukuyama, a mountain on the center of the island. We met a local Okinawan at the beach who took us to the top.

Gusukuyama, which is called fondly by the nickname of Ijimatacchu, stands slightly toward the east and faces the center of the island. The mountain is 172 meters above sea level. Halfway up the mountain, there is a place called Gusukuyama-utaki, where it is thickly wooded and where people go to pray for safe voyages, good health, and good harvests.

View from the top of Gusukuyama...

Tropical Okinawa...

Another stop was the Ernie Pylie monument.

Ernie Pyle, the son of a farmer, was born in 1900. After studying journalism at Indiana University he found work on a small newspaper in La Plante, Indiana. In 1923 he moved to the Washington Daily News and eventually became the paper's managing editor.
In 1932 he was commissioned to write a travel column for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. He did this until the outbreak of the Second World War when he became a war correspondent. He moved to England in 1940 where he reported on the Blitz for the New York World Telegram.
Pyle went with the US Army to North Africa in November 1942. This was followed by the invasions of Sicily and Italy. He also accompanied Allied troops during the Normandy landings and witnessed the liberation of France. By 1944 Pyle had established himself as one of the world's outstanding reporters and Time hailed him as "America's most widely read war correspondent."
In 1945 Pyle was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for journalism. Later that year he went with US troops to Okinawa. On 17th April, 1945, Ernie Pyle was killed by a Japanese sniper while on a routine patrol on 18th April, 1945.

For more information on Ernie Pyle see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Pyle

http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/news/erniepyle/

For more information on IE Island see:

http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/007/english/point/ie/index.html

Tokyo

2007-03-03T05:40:00.000-08:00

From Yudanaka, we took a train to Nagano and transferred to the bullet (Shinkansen) train for a 140 mile trip to Tokyo.

We stayed at the the military hotel, the New Sanno; highly recommended after a week of traditional Japanese inns. This was our first trip to Tokyo since moving to Okinawa.

In addition to several tourist stops, such as the Imperial Palace below, we caught an act of Kabuki Theater, a popular Japanese form of theater.

Cherry blossoms, a Shishi lion, and the Yushima Tenmangu Shrine. Built in 458, the Shrine is entirely made of Japanese cypress.

Nakamise street- lined with ~100 stores from the Edo Period. The Sensoji Temple in the distance is the oldest temple in Tokyo (and also most crowded).

Our last stop was the Ginza district (the Manhattan of Tokyo).

Jigokudani Monkey Park

2007-03-02T05:32:00.000-08:00

While Beth was excited about the Geisha, I was excited about the monkey Park. The Jigokudani Yaen-koen Monkey Park is a half an hour walk from Kanbayashi Onsen. Our hopitable host at the Shimaya Ryokan dropped us off at the base of the mountain where the park is located. The park, established in 1964, is a place to observe over 200 free-ranging Japanese Macaque up close.

The Macaque have their own private onsen (hotspring).

Trivia: the three monkeys who "hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil" were based on the Japanese Macaque. The three truths of the Tendai sect of Buddhism are Mizaru (see no evil), Kikazaru (hear no evil), and iwazaru (speak no evil). The Japanese verb ending-zaru and the word for monkey (salu) are similar in sound. Perhaps the use of the monkeys represents religious symbolism.

I am not sure I would drink the water...

Excuse us Mrs. Haegen!

For more information see:
http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/english/top/english.html

Yudanaka

2007-03-01T05:28:00.000-08:00

On our way back to Nagano, we stopped overnight in Yudanaka. This town is famous for its onsen (hotsprings) and the Jigokudani Yaen-koen Monkey Park.

We stayed at the Shimaya Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. This is a great way to experience the Japanese culture and we were pleasantly enamored with this family-run guesthouse. Extremely hospitable, we strongly recommend this inn for travelers in the Yudanaka area. For information about the Shimaya Ryokan see:
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/nagano/shimaya.htm

Our room with tatami mats, a traditional table, and cushions (zabuton). Where's the bed?

Not to worry; our bedding was laid out while we were exploring the town.

Notice the fine display of the Yukata, a loose cotton kimono symbolizing "relaxation and leisure time."

Scenic Yudanaka!

We spent most of our day at the Jigokudani Yaen-koen Monkey Park. See Beth below doing her best monkey imitation...

Shiga Kogen

2007-02-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

From Kyoto, we took a very scenic train ride to Nagano and, from Nagano, a short bus ride to Shiga Kogen. Shiga Kogen is the largest Ski Resort in Japan (21 interlinked resorts). Never a line more than three people deep and to our good fortune it snowed about 3 inches on the second night.

Another Torii...

The Sunroute Hotel.

For more information see:
http://www.shigakogen.gr.jp/english/

Geisha

2007-02-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

In Gion, we had the opportunity to see Geisha. After, a very exhausting day of walking from temple to temple, we took a break on a side-street of Gion. Shortly afterwards, we observed a pair of Geisha on their way to an ochaya (teahouse). This was a very exciting moment for Beth!

Even more exciting was a tea ceremony we attended in the oldest Geisha district. On our way to another shrine, our cab driver pointed out that a tea ceremony was being performed at the Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine. It turns out that this tea ceremony occurs once a year, Feb 25th.

Geisha preparing the tea at the Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine.

The tea ceremony dates back to the 15th century in Japan. The ritual (chaji) consists of a light meal and whipped powder tea (matcha) which is served by a host to a few invited guests. In Japan, the tea ceremony is a unique moment to be treasured.

Kyoto II

2007-02-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

Your first impression is that Kyoto is similar to other modern Japanese cities. However, you quickly realize the historical significance of this city demonstrated by the numerous historical monuments found throughout the city. You spend a lot of time walking from monument to monument. Beth would suggest signing up for a guided tour to see the city's famous sites.

Next stop, the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. Obviously a famous site, as the locals were outside petitioning this site to become the eighth wonder of the world.

The Kiyomizu-Dera Temple with Kyoto in the background...

A favorite spot of Beth and mine was the Fushimi Shrine... also a famous shrine. This shrine is dedicated to Inari, the deity of sake and rice. It is formed out of hundreds of torii (gates).

The view from the top of the shrine with the town of Fushimi below.

Beth showing off the Sanmon (gateway) of the Nanzen-ji Temple... Another 14th century zen temple.

Kyoto

2007-02-23T04:27:00.000-08:00

For our birthdays, Beth and I visited mainland Japan. We spent nine days in Kyoto, Nagano, and Tokyo. First stop , the old imperial capital of Japan, Kyoto.

Our first tourist stop was The Nijo Castle. This castle was created by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the sixteenth century. This picture is taken at castle's gardens.

Next, we headed to Philosopher's walk, a cherry blossom lined canal meandering the base of the scenic Higashiyama (Eastern Mountains). Although we were early, there were many cherry blossoms in bloom.

The most famous site was the Golden Pavilion also called Kinkaku-ji, a glimmering legacy of medieval Japan. It was built by the third Ashikaga Shogun in the 14th century. This is all very impressive until you find out that it was destroyed by arson in 1950 and was later rebuilt. Never the less, it makes for a popular picture spot.

Christchurch

2006-12-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

For our last day in New Zealand, we rented a car and drove to Christchurch, a beautiful drive.

We stopped off for a view of Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain at 3,754 m (12,316 ft).

It was a wonderful trip, and we were thankful to have such wonderful company...

Shotover Jet

2006-12-09T23:56:00.000-08:00

Next adventure- Jetboating..

"Rock faces blur in your peripheral vision, the opaque water sprays into myriads of white crystals with every turn, and you grip the hand rail for comfort and reassurance and then let out a whoop of excitement as the driver spins the boat around in its own boat length — wow, you've just experienced the World famous Shotover Jet full 360 degree spin. Hold on tight and enjoy the thrill as you spin and without losing momentum keep speeding along the river.

The best thing of all… this is all actually good for you." - From the Shotover website

I would agree that it is good for you!

http://www.shotoverjet.co.nz/

Canyon Swing

2006-12-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

The Canyon Swing (Known as the world's tallest swing), my favorite adventure...

http://www.canyonswing.co.nz/

Nanci in the chair...

Beth in the chair. SCARED?

"Gimp Boy Goes to Hollywood" (I don't know what this means, but this is the name of the jump)

http://www.shotoverjet.com/

Queenstown

2006-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

We flew from Aukland to Queenstown, a city that combines the beauty of Banff and the small town feel of Aspen. However, make no mistake, this is an adult's Disneyland...

We started out small for our first Queenstown activity, a scenic luge.
http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/luge/index.cfm/

New Zealand's highest bungy jump, 400 meters above Queenstown.

Lion Brewery

2006-12-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

From the Bay of Islands, we returned to Aukland for one very important tour, LIONZONE. LIONZONE is not a traditional brewery tour; visitors have the opportunity to learn, about the brewing process, the history of the Lion Brewery and Lion Nathan, through multi-media and interactive experiences. LIONZONE encompasses the working Lion Brewery, the home of Lion Red, New Zealand's biggest beer brand, and Steinlager, Lion's flagship international beer.
Needless to say, we (especially Nancy) were very excited about this tour.

Our very gracious host was Peter, a doctor of Beers.

Peter explains to Nanci that green bottled beers, although more marketable, result in a lesser quality beer.

Thanks Peter. I think I will have another Steinlager...

For more information, see:

http://www.lionzone.co.nz/default.asp

Urupukapuka Island

2006-12-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

After our morning adventure with the Dolphins, we were dropped on Urupukapuka Island. In the background is Otehei Bay. Otehei Bay is one of the most beautiful bays on Urupukapuka Island. It has been famous since the days when Zane Grey, the famous American author, chased the big marlin from his camp here.

Next stop, Motukokako Island and the famous "Hole in the Rock."

Paihia, Russell and Waitangi

2006-12-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

We arrived in the Bay of Islands and explored the nearby towns of Russell and Waitangi. The Bay of Islands is the region that encompasses Kerikeri, Waitangi, Paihia and Russell. There are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands together with some of New Zealands most beautiful Coastline. Waitangi is where New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840. Some of New Zealand's oldest buildings are found in the Bay of Islands, including New Zealnad's oldest Church, Christ Church (1936). This Church was supported in part by Charles Darwin.

The moon over Russell...

Our next great adventure was a Dolphin Expedition. We had planned on swimming with the Dolphins, but this was scratched as there were baby dolphins in the water.

Fullers Bay of Island Tours: http://www.fboi.co.nz/

For more information about Russell see: http://www.russellnz.com/

Trivia: In a 2006 study, the Bay of Islands was found to have the bluest sky in the world, after Rio de Janeiro.[1]

References
↑ Dumé, Belle (2006-08-02). World's bluest sky revealed. Optics.org. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.

Sheep World

2006-12-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

We left Auckland and headed for the Bay of Islands. On our way, we stopped at "Sheep World."
Here, we learned about the amazing New Zealand sheep economy. Our show, hosted by a sheep- shearing comedian named Andy, consisted of a live sheep-shearing, bottle feeding lambs, and an amazing display of sheep herding by Andy's dog, Molly. It was heaps of fun...

Ther are 40 million sheep in New Zealand and only 4 million people.

Molly herding the sheep for Andy.

Waitomo Caves

2006-12-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

In Waitomo, we experienced Black Water Rafting. More often referred to as ‘cave tubing’, Black Water Rafting enables you to explore subterranean rivers that flow through ancient cave systems, while seated in an inner tube. We weaved, jumped and floated through the glowworm flecked underworld of the Ruakuri Cave.
This popular tour took approximately 4 hours and involved a combination of walking and floating on an inner tube through a unique underground river system. I kept thinking we could never get away with this in the states.

Preparing for our adventure...

Floating down the underground river...

For more information see:
http://www.waitomo.com/waitomo-glowworm-caves.aspx

Auckland, New Zealand

2006-12-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

One of the more impressive sites in Auckland is the Sky Tower. At 328 metres, Sky Tower is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere, offering breath-taking views for more than 80 kilometres in every direction. This was our first stop in New Zealand.

You soon realize that in New Zealand if a building or structure is taller than 100 meters, you can pay money to jump off of it.

No Beth, it does not look like you are jumping...

Great views of the city of Auckland...

If you would like to jump off the sky tower see:

http://www.skyjump.co.nz/

Fitzroy Island

2006-12-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

For our last day in Cairnes, we headed for Fitzroy Island (an hour boat ride). The highlight was a turtle we played with while snorkeling.

Fitzroy Island

Heading back to Cairnes...

It was an exhausting day...

For more Information see: http://www.queenslandislands.com/fitzroy_island/island_resort.html
For additonal photos see:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/223465008trmCjj

Kuranda

2006-11-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

The picturesque mountain retreat of Kuranda Village is just 25km northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia and is surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest. We traveled to Kuranda on Kuranda’s Historic Scenic Railway Range Road, spent the day in the Kuranda village, and returned to Cairnes over the rainforest on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

The view of Cairnes from the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway...

For more information see:
http://www.kuranda.org/

Australia

2006-11-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

The next 13 blogs are from our Australian and New Zealand adventure. We spent 14 days with our friends Rob, Nanci, Steve, Tony, and Terry. We had an amazing time and hope to visit both these countries again. We are very thankful to Rob and Nanci who had it all planned out. We just had to get to Cairnes, where our adventure began...

We took a sail, snorkel and dive trip out to the Great Barrier Reef.

Ready to dive in...

Michaelmas Cay in the Great Barrier Reef

For more information check out Passions of Paradise at:
http://www.passions.com.au/

http://www.passions.com.au/images/onboard_deck_large.jpg

Halloween '06

2006-10-31T05:29:00.000-08:00

Now that we have a backyard, we were able to host the Lovell annual pumpkin carving party this year.

Mike Hoffmann had the most creative pumpkin (the pumpkin eating the baby pumpkin).

My pumpkin.

Halloween night with our neighbor, Diana.

Our favorite costume in the neighborhood- "Gross Eeries." Click on picture to enlarge (note the rat coming out of a tin can).

Leaving

2006-10-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful two weeks hosting our family. It was sad to say good-bye.

We traveled to many sites,

made new friends,

and experienced the culture (Avery with a Shishi doll).

I think we tired the girls out!

When it came time to say good-bye, someone got caught trying to be a stow-away.

Friends

2006-10-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Rylan and Avery made several friends during their two weeks in Okinawa.

The girls with Gabbi Hoffmann on their way to the hospital Halloween festival...

With our neighbor, Brittany...

Tea

2006-10-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Toward the end of the visit, Beth took her mom and sister to the Ichi Go Ichi E Green Tea Room where they enjoyed the time-honored tradition of a Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Beaches

2006-10-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

In Okinawa, the beaches are numerous. We visited several.

Sunset Beach by our old house with Rylan and Avery.

Onna Point (one of my favorite dive spots)...

Chris and Richard Lovell at Okuma Beach.

The tide pools at the Sunabe sea wall.

Back at Okuma...

Butterflies

2006-10-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

The Ryugujo Butterfly park

The Ryugujo Butterfly Garden offers a theme of health and longevity, featuring waterfalls, ponds and tropical flowers. The main attraction is the Butterfly House. This is the perfect place for our 2 nieces

Rylan showing off a butterfly.

A good time was enjoyed by all.

Well, almost everyone had a good time...

Okinawa World

2006-10-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

Next stop, Okinawa World.

The park is home to Japan's largest limestone caves. It offers a rebuilt ryukyuan town, a habu-museum dedicated to the local poisonous snake and a must see Eisa-show. In the rebuilt town, hands-on experiences of old crafts and arts are available.

Rylan demonstrating the local crafts.

Avery and Beth in the caves.

This picture would have been perfect if only Beth would have joined in.

Okuma

2006-10-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

After a few days of recovering from the jet-lag, we packed the car and headed north for a mini-vacation. Our first stop was a traditional okinawan soba restaurant known only as "The Big House." After a few wrong turns, we found it.

Chris and Richard "trying" the soba noodles for their first and only time.

Next it was off to Okuma Beach on the Northwestern side of the island. We went with one of my partners and his family, the Hoffmanns.

Okuma is a beautiful beach resort with plenty to do (scuba, golf, hiking, jet skiing) Of course it is run by the air force.

Looking for shells on our own private beach...

Calm waters at the end of the day were perfect for the kids...

Visitors

2006-10-13T04:57:00.000-07:00

On October 13th , Beth and I had our second group of visitors as my "in-Laws" arrived for two weeks of fun. Some people may think that living with your wive's parents, sister, and nieces would be tough for two weeks, but since they read this, I will have to say it was no problem. Luckily, we were prepared for cramped quarters, as we moved into a larger house the month prior to their arrival.

Beth and I were excited to show them the island, but we weren't the only excited member of the family...

We began our tour at the The Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters. This consisted of a series of tunnels and underground rooms where the navy had been headquartered during WWII. The Japanese Imperial Army literally dug themselves in during the War. Caves were used as gun turrets, hospitals, hideouts and headquarters. The Navy Headquarters illustrate the war, which for Japanese forces was mostly fought under ground than above it. Towards the end of the war it is reported that 4000 soldiers committed suicide in the tunnels.

http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/Public%20Affairs%20Info/Archive%20News%20Pages/2006/060901-cave.html

Next stop, Peace Prayer Memorial Park.

The park, built on the last battle site on Okinawa, is built in remembrance of the dead of WWII. Every Japanese prefecture has its monument commemorating their dead, but most impressive is the Cornerstone of Peace, rows of zigzag black stones with the names of all those fallen, whatever their nationality or religion. At the time of the opening ceremony on June 23 1995, a total of 234,183 names had been engraved but this number continues to grow.

The entire group at the "suicide cliffs."

Another tour site we visited was Shuri Castle. Shuri Castle was the home of the King in the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom. During World War II, Shurijo Castle was burned to the ground in the fierce Battle for Okinawa. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1992.

Bijou

2006-09-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Our dog is all grown up...

Moving

2006-09-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

September 18th, Beth and I moved "on-base." We were excited to give up our house on the ocean with beatitiful sunsets for space and peace and quiet. It doesn't look like much, but we refer to it as our mansion.

One of our last sunsets at the old house...

Okinawa World

2006-09-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

Over the Labor Day weekend Beth and I visited Okinawa World.

Okinawa World, also known as the Culture Kingdom Gyokusendo or the Gyokusendo cave, is the largest Okinawan culture theme park on the island.

Okinawa World is located about 40 minutes south of Naha and has 10 main attractions, including tropical orchards, traditional crafts village, Ryukyu glass blowing, crafts and pottery kiln, large shopping center, Habu snake museum and show, a Habu Awamori, a traditional Okinawan restaurant and the largest attraction, the Gyokusendo cave.

The Gyokusendo cave is more than 300,000 years old and is the second largest in Japan. The cave is five kilometers long, with 890 meters open to the public. The cave, which claims to have the greatest stalactites and stalagmites in Asia, features many unique stalactite and stalagmite formations, including the Speared Ceiling, which has more than 20,000 stalactites hanging from the ceiling like a forest of stone icicles.

The pottery factory where Shisa dogs are created. The Shisa is is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often found in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog. Many people put a pair of Shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from various evils. When found in pairs, the shisa on the right traditionally has an open mouth, and the one on the left, a closed mouth.

For more information on Shisa dolls see:
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/6330/Shisa.html

Stalagmites...

Traditional glass blowing factory. Okinawan glass is very popular and very expensive.

Awamori, a close cousin to Japan's sake, is a liquor that is made only on Okinawa and is intrinsically wound into the island's history and traditions.
What sets awamori apart from the popular mainland liquor, sake, is the fact that awamori is distilled where sake is brewed. Also, short grain Japonica rice is used in sake while long grained Indica rice from Thailand is used for awamori. Many connoisseurs feel these factors give awamori a superior taste and quality. Like the worm is to mescal tequila, the habu is to fine awamori. The more expensive bottles of awamori liquor include a well-preserved habu snake coiled inside.

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/01/mag/sm072201c.html

Mess Night

2006-08-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

A "Mess Night" is a scheduled evening when mess members and their guests gather in the mess for dinner. However, A Mess Night is more than an officer's dinner party. It is a military formation, as old and as rich in tradition as the quarterdeck or the mounting of the guard, and as essential to a close-knit, smooth-performing unit as are drills, inspections and military ceremonies. Throughout the messes of the world, military men meet to honor their regiments, ships, standards, battles and dead. It is significant to note that irrespective of nationality, these mess formations vary in form only so much as do the traditions of the military organizations. It cannot be too strongly emphasized that mess night is not a party in any sense; it is very similar to honors, for its purpose is to solemnly pay tribute to all of those intangibles for and by which the military unit stands.

The Mess Night format is derived through tradition from a number of sources, particularly the Vikings and the British Navy. Like so many of our service traditions, the term "Mess Night" and the format used in the U.S. Navy today was derived from the British Navy. Although the tradition is very old in England, it is not exclusively military. Tradition has it that the custom began in the monasteries, was adopted by the early universities, and later spread to military units when the officers' mess was established. At one time, the formal dining procedure was observed nightly in the British military messes. This nightly formality and elegance was abandoned by the United States Navy when alcoholic beverages were abolished aboard ship by General Order 99. However, Mess Nights are still observed on special occasions such as an anniversary, a commissioning or decommissioning, the visit of a senior officer, or simply to enjoy good company.

Surprisingly Beth and I enjoyed the evening...

Mike Hoffmann and I...

The Wives...

The meal...

For more information of the history of "The Mess Night" see

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq89-1.htm

The Colorado River

2006-07-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

A trip home would not be complete without a trip to the Colorado River. A great way to cool off during the heat wave (123 degrees).

Nice jump Rylan...

John John jumping off the rocks at Clear Lake...

"No hands" Nino

Raegen and Avery on the sandbar...

Coming in at the end of the day...

San Diego

2006-07-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Beth and I managed to make it back to SanDiego for a few weeks. Being my first trip back home, I was immediately taken from the airport to a mexican restaurant. Needless to say, I got my fill of carne asasada while home.

We had a great time during the two weeks and managed a Padres game (thanks to Brad), opening day at the races (thanks to Brad), a trip to the river, surfing, time with the nieces/ nephews, and Rob Weir's annual Pub Crawl (see below):

A day at Seaport Village with Raegen and Rylan...

Rylan's Fifth Birthday...

Friendly competetition among brothers on the bumper boats

A New Edition

2006-06-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I broke down and brought home a new edition to the family- Bijou; Bijou is a five-month old Min Pin.

At the pet shop...

Bijou at home...

Sentosa Island II

2006-05-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

On Sentosa Island we began to explore the different attractions. For Beth and I, the main attractions were Singapore's Underwater World Aquarium, Dolphin Lagoon, and an Orchid park.

During the dolphin show, I volunteered to play with a dolphin.

The view from Mount Faber towards Sentosa Island.

On our last night we walked around the "Canal Walk" and had a great dinner at a North Indian restaurant (Hopefully a future trip).

We finished the evening at the famous Raffles Hotel. Here we sampled the drink that was invented on this very spot; the Singapore Sling.

History Fact:
In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, an official with the British East India Company, signed a treaty with the Sultan of Johore. He also established Singapore as a trading post and settlement, which saw instant growth and immigration from various ethnic groups. Singapore was later made a crown colony by Britain in 1867. After a series of territorial expansions, the British Empire soon raised Singapore's status to that of an entrepot town, due to its strategic location along the busy shipping routes connecting Europe to China.

Sentosa Island

2006-05-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

For our last full day in Singapore we decided to visit Sentosa Island. Sentosa Island was previously a military installation that the city converted into a giant theme park and playground for the citizens and visitors of Singapore.

There are several ways to reach Sentosa Island, but the best by far is to take the cable car from Mt. Faber. The cable car offers some dramatic views of the city and Sentosa Island.

Not quite Tioman Island; However we did find some nice beaches.

Beth is standing at the Southern most point on the Asian Continent (click on picture).

The Zoo

2006-05-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Next stop, Singapore Zoo...

We saw a very interesting elephant show.

Although I am partial to San Diego, the Singapore Zoo was a step above.

Trivia

In 2002, teams of The Amazing Race 3 came to the Singapore Zoological Gardens as part of a detour.

Singapore

2006-05-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

Finding it difficult to leave, we then flew to Singapore.

Singapore is an island city-state and the smallest country in Southeast Asia. The site of several ancient port cities and a possession of several empires in its history, Singapore was a Malay fishing village when it was colonised by the United Kingdom in the 19th century. It was further occupied by the Japanese Empire in World War II, and was later part of the merger which formed the Federation of Malaysia. When Singapore acquired independence, having few natural resources, it was sociopolitically volatile and economically undeveloped. Foreign investment and rapid government-led industrialisation has since created an economy which relies on exports of electronics and manufacturing primarily from its port.

We made the typical tourist stops, including the Sri Mariamman Temple. The Sri Mariamman Temple is the largest and oldest (Built in 1843) Hindu temple in Singapore, and is located in South Bridge Road, Chinatown district.

While in the China district we had dinner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

Coral Island, Palau Tioman

2006-05-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

Berjaya Resort

2006-05-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Berjaya Tioman Beach, Golf & Spa Resort.

Righ on the beach...

Our own private dinner on the beach.

http://www.berjayaresorts.com.my/tioman-beach/info.html

Tioman, Malaysia

2006-05-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

From KL, we traveled to Tioman, a big island lying about 40 Km off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Tioman was discovered as a holiday destination quite some time ago. It was the setting for the supposedly mythical magical island of Bali Hai from the 1958 Hollywood movie 'South Pacific'. In the 70s the Time magazine selected Tioman as one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Our flight on Berjaya air was memorable as we had to wait in airport for 4 hrs while they "worked" on the plane.

Then as we traveled to Tioman, the cabin began to smoke. Beth found this amusing!

We arrived on the island and

we were taken to our hotel...

Kaula Lumpur II

2006-05-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

On our second day in KL, we decided to leave the city on a guided tour. Our first stop was the Selangor Pewter factory, one of the largest manufacturers of pewter in the world. The new Royal Selangor Visitor Centre offers guided tours through its three sections - the Gallery, Factory Tour and Retail Floor. The Gallery offers a load of interactive exhibits designed to bring you closer into the world of pewter, including a look at the company's past (it turned 120 years old in 2005) and also an understanding of the alloy's properties in the Science of Pewter section within the Gallery.

Beth was interested in the world's largest beer mug...

What is pewter?
Pewter is a metal alloy, traditionally between 85 and 99 % tin, with the remainder consisting of 1-4 % copper, acting as a hardener, with the addition of lead for the lower grades of pewter and a bluish tint.

Tin was an important natural resource in the economic development of Malaysia. In the 17th century, large deposits of tin were found in several Malay Stats. Later, as the British started to take over as administrators of Malaysia, rubber and palm oil trees were introduced for commercial purposes. Over time, Malaya became the world's largest major producer of tin, rubber, and palm oil. These three commodities, along with other raw materials, firmly set Malaysia's economic tempo well into the mid-20th century.

We also stopped along the road to look at rubber trees.

Our final stop of the day was at the World's tallest Lord Murugan statue at the Batu caves. Batu Caves is a limestone hill to the north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which has a series of caves and cave temples. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. There are 272 steps that a visitor has to climb in order to access the temple at the summit of the hill. Many of the shrines relate the story of Lord Murugan's victory over Soorapadam.

For more information see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Caves

The site is well known for its numerous macaque monkeys, which visitors feed, sometimes involuntarily.

For more Malaysian history see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2006-05-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

On May 7th, we left for Kaula Lumpur Malaysia. It has been said that Malaysia is where the new embraces the old; Where modern sophistication meets rustic charm; and
Where pristine tracts of rainforest blend into the metropolitan skyline.

One of the highlights of KL are the Petronas Towers. Standing at an awesome 451.9m (1,482 ft.) above street level, with 88 stories, the towers are the third tallest buildings in the world. From the outside, the structures are designed with the kind of geometric patterns common to Islamic architecture.

We found great shopping in China Town on Petaling Street. In preparation for the Okinawan Typhoon season, Beth and I bought several TV series on DVD...

Beth enjoying a butterfly farm in an urban tropical rain forest.

Seoul II

2006-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

The locals were amused by Sebastian, son of Kurt and Andrea Mueller. Sebastian was a celebrity in Korea.

The girls were amused by a Monk with an umbrella and cell phone...

And I was amused with Beth and Stacey celebrating an end to the medical boards!
(I sang a CAKE tribute in honor of Rob and Nancy)

Seoul, Korea

2006-04-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Your husband has just spent two weeks locked in a hotel room studying for his medical boards and how do you celebrate? Well, if you are Beth Haegen, you wait till he gets back from the states and then you hop on a plane with your girlfriends and head for Seoul, Korea...

After lunch at a fancy restaurant, the girls headed to The Gyeongbok Palace.

Built at the beginning of the Chosun Dynasty when the Yi Dynasty moved the capital to Seoul, this palace remained the main seat of power for Korea kings throughout much of the time to the present. Gyeongbok means Shining Happiness. The main gate (Kwanghwa-mun) separates Gyeongbok Palace from one of the busiest areas of Seoul. Gyeongbok Palace was built as the primary palace of the Chosun Kingdom by its founder, King Taejo in 1395, the fourth year of his reign.

It was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and left in ruins for over 250 years. Starting in 1865, it was rebuilt to its original grandeur. When Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, most of the 200 building on the palace grounds were torn down by the Japanese, leaving only a dozen structures.

Chocolate

2006-02-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

Our Last adventure was a visit to the Ishiya Chocolate Factory. We tried some of their famous chocolate cookies called "White Beloved Ones." This cookie is only sold in Hokkaido and it is very famous throughout Japan.

After watching the factory workers put together the chocolate cookies, we got our hands dirty and made our own.

One of the more memorable experiences we had was a trip to a local microbrewery with a friend of mine from the hospital. John and Sarah are recent home-brewers and John came across a web-site for the "Beer Inn Mugishutei (Beer Joint)." This place was owned by Phred Kaufamn. He Has spent the past 25 years in Japan as a resident of Sapporo. Mugishutei ( Beer Joint) was started in June 0f 1980 and with over 300 varieties from over 50 countries has the largest selection of beers in the orient. This place has the feel of the Brickskeller in Washington DC. His selections included Gordon Biersch. Phred was a gracious host.

Beer

2006-02-08T22:23:00.000-08:00

A trip to Sapporo would not be complete without a trip to the beer museum. In fact, the Sapporo beer museum is the only beer museum in Japan.

Beth had a little too much fun at the museum bar...

Ice Sculpures

2006-02-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

The ice sculptures were more elaborate than the snow sculptures. They were displayed in Susukino (the main shopping district). My favorite was a jeep with snow boards on top.

We were not sure who this guy was, but he was popular with the locals.

The Sapporo Snow Festival

2006-02-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

The 57th Sapporo Snow Festival is one of Japan's biggest winter event of the year, with approximately two million people turning up to view the glittering ice sculptures created by professional artists in spaces all over Odori Park, Makomanai Park and Susukino (the main shopping district).

Few have been more surprised by the current scale of this event than the people who started it all in 1950, when some students left six snow sculptures in Odori Park. This has now grown into an international event, with teams from Japan and all over the world competing in the International Snow Statue Contest, the highlight of the event. Some sculptures are the size of buildings several stories tall.

Below is a replica of the Horyuji Temple. Situated in Ikaruga in Nara, it is the world's oldest surviving wooden structures dating from the 7th century. It was originally built by Prince Shotoku (the son of Emperor Yomei) and Empress Suiko during the Asuka period to fulfill Emperor Yomei's deathbed wish to build a temple and an image of Buddha for the recovery from his illness.

Our favorite snow sculpture was a tribute to Ai Miyazato, a Okinawan professional golfer. Below is a description of the sculpture and what appears to be an advertisement for Okinawa. "Brilliant sunshine" sounded good.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was also very cool...

For more information see:
http://www.snowfes.com/english/place/

Sapporo

2006-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

After 3 days of skiing/ Snowboarding, we left Niseko for Sapporo.

We discovered that Sapporo was no warmer than Niseko, averaging about -2C. This makes Sapporo the perfect place for a Snow Festival...

Niseko

2006-02-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

We decided to leave the tropical weather of Okinawa for a ski trip to northern Japan.
Sitting in the southwest corner of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, Niseko is one of the snowiest places on the planet, receiving well over 500 inches of snow a year. Storms from Siberia pick up a sudden surge of moisture from the Sea of Japan and slam into the 4,000-foot peaks of Niseko.

It seemed like all 500 inches fell during our stay. It made for very good conditions.

Click on photo twice to enlarge...

Cherry Blossoms

2006-01-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

Spring comes early in Okinawa. Beth took advantage of this and visited the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival. Luckily I was on call. Spurred by warmer than normal winter weather, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in the Nago area. Good timing, too, as this was the weekend for the 43rd Nago Cherry Blossom Festival.

For the Okinawa newcomer, the Cherry Blossom Festival ranks as one of the most beautiful events of the year, with Mother Nature showing her colors with the traditional flowers. Festivities are held at the base of Nago castle, the expansive home to the local Aji chieftain in the 14th century. The area is now Nago Central Park, where thousands of Taiwan cherry trees show their beauty early each year. This year more than 200,000 pink Taiwan cherries are in full bloom.

New Years

2006-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 2^nd we visited the Shurijo Castle New Year’s Banquet.

This event is a reenactment of the traditional New Year's ceremony originally held early in the morning on New Year's Day ,attended by the king, the royal family, and senior court officials. Court dances and other Ryukyuan dances are performed to add to the New Year mood.

On the main island of Okinawa during the 14th century, three small kingdoms were formed and battles for supremacy developed. At the beginning of the 15th century, Shisho and his son Sho Hashi, from a powerful family in the southern part of the island, began to conquer the other rival states and in 1429 succeeded in unifying the Ryukyu islands. It is believed that during the process of unification he made the Shuri area his base. From that time until the establishment of the prefectural administrative system in 1879, Shurijo Castle was the center stage of the kingdom's history.

After unification of the Ryukyus by Shisho and his son Sho Hashi, Shurijo Castle became the center of the kingdom's government. Furthermore, the castle fulfilled a central role in the development of the kingdom's crucial trade links with China, the Japanese mainland, Korea, and many of the countries of Southeast Asia.

During World War II, Shurijo Castle was burned to the ground in the fierce Battle for Okinawa. A local Okinawan awareness movement and petitions made to the government in the 1980s resulted in the completed reconstruction of Shurijo Castle opening to the public in 1992.

For more information see:

http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/001/index-e.html

http://www.s-breeze.com/rakuen/syurijoE.html

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T22:30:00.000-08:00

To get into a seasonal mood, we attended a Christmas celebration at the Okinawan Botanical Gardens. This light show gave us great ideas for future outside decorations at home.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2005-11-26T01:47:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at my partner's house. He was fortunate to already have a VISITOR. His mom was visiting from Peru.

After a weekend of Golfing, Diving, and Biking, we traveled up North to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the world's second largest aquarium. Whale sharks and manta rays are kept amongst many other fish and plant species in the main tank.

For a limited time, any visitor to our home will get an all expense paid trip to the aquarium.

For information about the aquarium see: http://www.chample.tv/churaumi/index_en.html
For travel information contact unitedairlines.com

Halloween

2005-10-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

As we are childless, we celebrated Halloween at my partner's house, Mike Hoffmann. They live on base and it's like Disneyland during Halloween. They actually bus the Japenese children in from out in town.

Mike and Stephanie and their children Gabby and Ryan.

We went through 8 bags of candy.

As we started to run low, Gabby had to ask permission to give the children without costumes candy.

Tania would have been proud of my pumpkin...

Nanjing

2005-10-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, OCT 22nd, we traveled to Nanjing. A 3-hr train from Shanghai.
Having served as the capital of ten dynasties in ancient China, its splendour has remained and even enlarged with an extended population up to 600,000 when the government of the Republic of China set up its capital there in 1927. However, an outrageous and well-prepared war of aggression was started by Japan on Sep 13, 1931. Receiving no resistance from the government of the Republic of China, the troops of the Japanese aggressor occupied the three provinces of northeast China within a period of five months. Marching southwards, they launched all-out offensives on Shanghai and Nanjing.

On Dec 13, 1937, the Japanese army occupied Nanjing and during the following six weeks bore witness to the inhumane disgrace and bloody massacre exerted on the city. No less than 300,000 innocent civilians and unarmed Chinese soldiers were brutally slaughtered in mass and individual beheadings, burying alive, burning, and killing races. More than 20,000 women were raped and many were then killed. A third of the architectures together with their contents were damaged by fire and countless shops, stores and residences were looted and sacked. Corpses were seen floating on rivers and littered the streets and lanes. Whether they were children or the aged, from residents to nuns, few could escape from the savage atrocity.

Beth and I visited The Memorial Hall, a dedication to the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre, which was built by the Nanjing Municipal Government in 1985.

For the history of the Nanjing Massacre, see:
http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/NanjingMassacre/NM.html

Several years ago, I read a book on the Nanjing Massacre written by Iris Cheng. This book, the best selling The Rape of Nanking (1997), documents the Nanking Massacre of Chinese by forces of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and includes interviews with victims. The work is best known for its focus on oral history, and was the first popular English language work to deal exclusively on the atrocity itself. It was a New York Times Bestseller and remained on the list for months. It won praise particularly for the accounts of the massacre and atrocities, including mass rape. I recommend this book. For more info see:
http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_Chang

Iris Chang

Beijing

2005-10-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Beijing, the Capitol of China, is a wonderful city. It is known for the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Tiananmen Square. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
for more information on The Tiananmen square incident. Like the rest of China, it is rich in history.

Tiananmen Square with the Parliament in the background.

The Forbidden City is the Palace for this centuries Chinese Emperors. Most impressive are the number of tourists they run through this place on a daily basis. Needless to say, these Emperors had lots of storage space.

Christy would be happy here as the only store in the palace is a Starbucks...
We had to stop for Beth.

The Great Wall

2005-10-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

We visited a section of the Great Wall outside of Beijing. Although many people believe that the Great Wall is the one man-made structure visible from outer space, this is a myth. For more info and pictures from the great wall see: www.chinapage.org/.../greatwall/greatwall.html

Xian

2005-10-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Our next stop was the ancient city of Xian. Xian served as the empire’s capitol for a long period of time during it's ancient history. It is mainly known for its Terracotta Army. The army consists of around 7,000 life-size stautues of Emperor's Qin Army, who served as the Emperor approximately 2,200 years ago. It is thought that these warriors were created to protect the Emperor in his after-life. 700,000 people helped to construct these warriors and the Emperor's tomb. Each warrior is unique. They were discovered in the mid 70s by a farmer digging a well. They have been described as “The 8th Wonder of the World.” The following web site has further information/ pictures on this fascinating subject: http://www.anniebees.com/China/China_42.htm

No Beth, You are not a Terracotta Warrior!!!

China

2005-10-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Click on map for better view.

We left for China on October 16th. We spent our first 2 days in Shanghai, a small city of about 17 million.

American Village

2005-10-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood is referred to as American Village. It is sort of like Seaport Village in San Diego. We can walk to the beach or one of many restaurants.

There are many Sushi restaurants to choose from. This one, a block away, is our favorite.

Island Life

2005-10-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

We soon had a car and were able to head off to the beach.

However, the typhoons tend to ruin beach days. This is a view from our room during our first typhoon. During the summer there seems to be a typhoon every other weekend.

Mihama

2005-10-02T00:40:00.000-07:00

We moved into our new home October 2nd. Beth had her work cut out for her. Did we mention that it was hot!

Several WEEKS later our furniture arrived. I tried to tell her we had too much stuff...

Okinawa, Japan

2005-08-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Click on any map or picture for a better view...

We arived in Okinawa on August 24th, 2005. After several days in military lodging, we found a house off-base and near the water in Mihama. The area is also known locally as "American Village."

Fortunately, our house is close to the hospital.

For history of the hospital see:
http://www.oki.med.navy.mil/News/history.htm