En Route with Hank in Japan and the Westerdam

[SilvertoGold]

Hank: These have been really enjoyable and informational posts!  Much appreciated!  One thing I would like to know is your thoughts on packing for land/cruises.  You have so much else figured out so well and logically that I am sure you have a method for packing and I'd love learn from you.  Enjoy the Westerdam.

Edited March 21, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[Aitchgeye]

Like Hank, we prefer independent travel for the reasons he stated.  We found the Japanese transport system just to easy to navigate as those in Europe, and when wandering the streets around we use the google image translate to convert Japanese symbols to English. 
 

A guided tour in a museum/art gallery etc always is preferable to other options as for us allows us to ask questions.

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, IslandThyme said:

I want to ask you about language issues. On the Grand Asia I did walk around alone in all the ports except Tokyo, using just one word of Japanese (sumimasen) and a lot of gestures plus a smattering of English, but I didn't venture onto trains or buses alone. 

Assuming that you don't read Japanese, how do you find your DIY way everywhere without getting hopelessly lost?

Cruisemom is right about good signage in stations and airports.  We also do not hesitate to ask for help at hotels, from Police, or just about anyone.  If you stand around looking confused it is likely that a stranger will ask if you need help.

 

I do like Google Translate, which is a free app you can put on your phone.  It even has a "camera" function where you point it at writing and it will usually translate.  No need to go around saying sumimasen (kind of like "sorry bout that") but "arigato gazaimasu" and a small bow (like a bob of your head) will go a long way in this country.  If you do not know how to pronounce a word, Google Translate will also sound out the words.

 

Most independent travelers learn that language is a "challenge" but not a barrier.  And in Japan it is more than compensated for by the amazing politeness of the people.

 

Hank

[bennybear]

We found Japan very easy on our own as well.   Have you visited Uji?  We really enjoyed this beautiful temple that is on the ten yen coin and the wonderful green tea from there. 
 

 

[ontheweb]

18 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Definitely. I don't like to broadcast my cabin number but have noted yours and I'll get in touch. 😊

I hope the two of you post something about this meeting. 😊

[Hlitner]

Moving along with the blog, today dawned bright, clear, and warm (it got to about 75).  We had expected mostly rain (according to the forecast) but sometimes the weather folks have it wrong :).  When we woke up and saw the good weather we knew it was time to go to Nara.  So, we grabbed the subway to Kyoto's JR Station and hopped on the Nara Express (covered by our rail pass) for the 40 min ride.  Once in Nara we jumped on a local bus and were soon at Nara Park and the Todai-Ji Temple.  This place is fantastic and its huge bronze Budda has been featured in many brochures.  To see it up close and personal is jaw dropping.   Many professional sites suggest that folks should plan on spending 4-5 hours at Todai-ji (the surrounding park and buildings offer much to those who enjoy very long walks.  

 

After about 3 hours at Todai-ji, DW and I were worn out and decided to head back to the station, the train and Kyoto.  

 

My strong recommendation to fellow cruisers who have two days in this part of Japan (i.e. Osaka and/or Kobe) it to spend one day in Kyoto (seeing the best temples/shrines) and one day in Nara primarily seeing Todai-ji.  Nara does have several other good sites (including a few near Todai-ji) so you will find plenty to fill your day.  For many (including me) these two towns/sites will likely be the highlight of visiting Japan.

 

So, here are my tidbits of the day (your reward for reading this far in the post).  Many Japanese rest rooms have very nice sinks, plenty of soap/water, but no towels (or blowers).  If you do not carry your own towel you will leave with wet hands.  Another interesting tidbit is that you may not get a napkin in some restaurants, or you will get a single wet disposable towel.  

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

15 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Hank: These have been really enjoyable and informational posts!  Much appreciated!  One thing I would like to know is your thoughts on packing for land/cruises.  You have so much else figured out so well and logically that I am sure you have a method for packing and I'd love learn from you.  Enjoy the Westerdam.

For us, it is a big problem!  Both DW and I are over packers, and this causes us some anxiety as we try to reconcile our desire to bring everything with the reality that we will need to handle our luggage in many places (this is often an issue for independent travelers.  For this trip (8 weeks in climates ranging from warm to freezing) we simply stuffed as much as possible into two large lightweight suitcases.  They both  weighed about 48 pounds when we left home.  We each also carry back packs (our carryon's) which can be stuffed and quite heavy.  One nice thing about cruising on HAL, Princess and some other lines is that we get unlimited free laundry :).  This does help.

 

One recent change, for us, is that we no longer are taking formal wear on HAL cruises.  I did pack a blazer, but do not even have a tie.  Until recently I would have had my tux (with all the related stuff) and DW would have brought some decent outfits for gala/dressy nights.  NO MORE!  We got tired being among the best dressed and finally accept that times have changed in terms of dress codes.  Not carrying the formal stuff gives us more room to bring other clothes :).

 

I truly admire folks who can take long trips out of a single carry-on.  But it is not our style to do our own laundry on a trip, wash out stuff every night, etc.  

[SilvertoGold]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

For us, it is a big problem!  Both DW and I are over packers, and this causes us some anxiety as we try to reconcile our desire to bring everything with the reality that we will need to handle our luggage in many places (this is often an issue for independent travelers.  For this trip (8 weeks in climates ranging from warm to freezing) we simply stuffed as much as possible into two large lightweight suitcases.  They both  weighed about 48 pounds when we left home.  We each also carry back packs (our carryon's) which can be stuffed and quite heavy.  One nice thing about cruising on HAL, Princess and some other lines is that we get unlimited free laundry :).  This does help.

 

One recent change, for us, is that we no longer are taking formal wear on HAL cruises.  I did pack a blazer, but do not even have a tie.  Until recently I would have had my tux (with all the related stuff) and DW would have brought some decent outfits for gala/dressy nights.  NO MORE!  We got tired being among the best dressed and finally accept that times have changed in terms of dress codes.  Not carrying the formal stuff gives us more room to bring other clothes :).

 

I truly admire folks who can take long trips out of a single carry-on.  But it is not our style to do our own laundry on a trip, wash out stuff every night, etc.  

Thanks for your ideas!  The 5 star complimentary laundry on HAL is something we prize highly, too!  You do very well with 2 x 48 pounds and the backpacks.  We are using backpacks for the first time soon and are interested in how well that will work.  My big problem is the "if they lose the checked luggage, we are toast" line of thought.  

Have a great adventure and enjoy the Westerdam!

[Bostonjetset]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Moving along with the blog, today dawned bright, clear, and warm (it got to about 75).  We had expected mostly rain (according to the forecast) but sometimes the weather folks have it wrong :).  When we woke up and saw the good weather we knew it was time to go to Nara.  So, we grabbed the subway to Kyoto's JR Station and hopped on the Nara Express (covered by our rail pass) for the 40 min ride.  Once in Nara we jumped on a local bus and were soon at Nara Park and the Todai-Ji Temple.  This place is fantastic and its huge bronze Budda has been featured in many brochures.  To see it up close and personal is jaw dropping.   Many professional sites suggest that folks should plan on spending 4-5 hours at Todai-ji (the surrounding park and buildings offer much to those who enjoy very long walks.  

 

After about 3 hours at Todai-ji, DW and I were worn out and decided to head back to the station, the train and Kyoto.  

 

My strong recommendation to fellow cruisers who have two days in this part of Japan (i.e. Osaka and/or Kobe) it to spend one day in Kyoto (seeing the best temples/shrines) and one day in Nara primarily seeing Todai-ji.  Nara does have several other good sites (including a few near Todai-ji) so you will find plenty to fill your day.  For many (including me) these two towns/sites will likely be the highlight of visiting Japan.

 

So, here are my tidbits of the day (your reward for reading this far in the post).  Many Japanese rest rooms have very nice sinks, plenty of soap/water, but no towels (or blowers).  If you do not carry your own towel you will leave with wet hands.  Another interesting tidbit is that you may not get a napkin in some restaurants, or you will get a single wet disposable towel.  

 

Hank

Nara is one of my favorite cities in Japan. I could spend hours just feeding and interacting with all the deer lol. So cute!!!!  Then add in the lovely temples; paradise. 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Bostonjetset

[REOVA]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:37 AM, Sir PMP said:

Lots of Geisha's in Kyoto, I took a couple home..

Wow.  We have only been able to take a couple of geezers home. 👨‍🏫

[cbr663]

Really enjoy reading this blog.  Thanks @Hlitner for sharing your experiences and practical tips.

[Hlitner]

Today (Thursday) is a complete rain-out.  We knew, from the forecast, that today was likely to be a bad weather day, and since we are spending 6 days in Kyoto, we actually looked forward to a quiet day with no temples/shrines.  So, this morning, we walked down the main street, which has covered sidewalks, and did a lot of window shopping and browsing.  

 

Eventually we reached the large Nisiki Market which is over 1/2 mile long with hundreds of vendors under cover.  It is the perfect place on a rainy day (and it was packed with folks) to browse, snack, dine, etc.  DW and I have long had a habit of going to food/farmers markets around the world and Nisiki can hold its own against much of the competition.  You learn a lot about a culture in this kind of market place and the food can be amazing.  For lunch, we stopped at a place that had all kinds of yakitori (food on a skewer) including King Crab.  I had crab and DW had a freshly made shrimp.  It was divine, although one had to deal with the sardine-like crowding.  In fact, it was so crowded that DW and I decided to "mask-up" which is something we have not done most of our time in Kyoto.

 

It is only a few days until we board the "Westy" and we have started to mentally get into cruise mode.  I reviewed the current HAL protocols for our COVID test (we will take a self-test the day before we board the ship).  One of our private tours (organized by another cruiser) in Taiwan, requires that we pay in Taiwanese Dollars. While browsing the main street of Kyoto, I walked into a major bank, went to the foreign exchange counter, and traded more than 20,000 Yen for a 5000 Taiwanese Dollar note.  Quite convenient.  Getting Asian currency in Asia is a lot easier than in the States and the rates/commissions are better than at home.

 

One interesting tidbit today.  While standing in front of a major department store, a local senior man asked us, in pretty good English, "where are you from?"  When DW responded, "USA" he broke into a big smile, bowed, and said "welcome to Japan."  I responded with the appropriate small bow and the usual "arigato gozaimasu" (thank you very much) and he grinned and thanked me for speaking Japanese (two words?).  What we have learned, since landing in Tokyo, is that Japan has been locked-away from the world for over 3 years and most people are happy to again welcome "gaijin" (foreigners).   One other tidbit.  I had mentioned in an earlier post that we did not book the breakfast plan offered by our hotel.   Yesterday, we finally stumbled on a nearby coffee shop/bakery that makes its own pastries and croissants.  The croissants are among the best I have had anywhere (including France).  Who knew?

 

Hank

[GeezerCouple]

On 3/22/2023 at 1:40 PM, REOVA said:

Wow.  We have only been able to take a couple of geezers home. 👨‍🏫

 

Yikes!  😱

I'm glad we've both escaped from your clutches...

We'll be keeping an eye out for YOU! 😡

 

GC

[CNSJ]

Thanks for the great reports.  Im starting to plan our 2025 Circle Japan.  Based on your comments:

1.  I will do the Babbel application to learn enough Japanese to be respectful to my hosts.

2.  Plan on a few days in Kyoto before boarding ship.  (also plan a few in Tokyo).

 

Thanks Again!

[SFO Peter]

Hank thanks for the reporting.  You reminded me that I usually borrow a cloth napkin from the ship when eating out in Japan.   Those tiny wet naps don't really do much for a messy eater like me.

Funny thing in the height of hot summer we ordered noodles and it came cold (refrigerated).   I almost sent it back but I then realized that they serve cold noodles in summer.

 

Peter

[cruisemom42]

19 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Yesterday, we finally stumbled on a nearby coffee shop/bakery that makes its own pastries and croissants.  The croissants are among the best I have had anywhere (including France).  Who knew?

 

The Japanese, with their mania for perfection, have surprises like this.

 

I learned last year that one of the top 5 best regarded cacio e pepe dishes in Rome is made by a Japanese chef who works there...  😊

 

I fly out tomorrow for Japan. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by cruisemom42

[lissie]

On 3/22/2023 at 2:39 AM, Hlitner said:

I want to talk about cost, which is a subject oft ignored on these boards.  Please reference my post #39 to understand what we did during a 7 hour tour day (DIY).  What did this day cost us?  If we had purchased breakfast at our hotel, it was about $16 per person/day for a decent buffet. But DW and I are not big on breakfast, so we never bought the meal package saving nearly $190 during our 6 night stay.

 

So, this morning we went out to a coffee shop and had coffee and some Danish (less than $10 for breakfast).  Our total transportation cost (trains and buses) for the entire day was about $10 per person.  Lunch cost us $9.48 (total) for two salads topped with delicious fried chicken pieces, a big order of French fries. 1 beer and 1 coke.  One of the 3 major sites we visited was free. The two other sites had small admission fees totaling about $20 (for the two of us).  So, a 7-hour tour of 3 of the best sites around Kyoto, with lunch, cost us less than $50 (total cost for two).  

 

Just imagine what it costs to book a 7 hour tour (for two) including transportation, 3 major sites, and lunch!  You would likely pay around $500 (for a couple) which is 10 times our DIY cost.  Is everyday this cheap?  No, but it is more typical than not.  We love DIY because we are not stuck in a large group and can do our own thing.  But the cost savings benefits over a long cruise (with many ports) can easily be in the thousands of dollars.  DIY is not for everyone, but it remains a very valid option for this senior couple.

 

Now let's talk about cruisers who stop at Osaka.  If they wanted to book the bullet train to Kyoto it would cost them about $70 per person (round trip).  So, their cost for the day could be in the $120 per person range (depending on eating and drinking habits).  

 

I am not writing this to persuade folks to DIY, but rather just trying to point out the various cost options.  The downside to our DIY day was that we did use trains and public buses.  On the other hand, we did not need to wait for that one person who is always late back to the bus, 60 folks going to the bathroom, etc.  And when it came to lunch we could choose our own venue, menu, etc.

 

Hank

 

Thank you so much for this detail. We are hoping to do Japan next year have 2 cruises booked one ex Sydney to Yokohama and then 10 days later a round trip to Taiwan and the southern Islands. I'm planning on doing something very similar to what you are doing for the 10 days in between. 

 

I wasn't going to bring our large bags with us though would love to know if you notice any thing about luggage storage at yokohama. 

[lissie]

On 3/22/2023 at 6:14 AM, IslandThyme said:

I want to ask you about language issues. On the Grand Asia I did walk around alone in all the ports except Tokyo, using just one word of Japanese (sumimasen) and a lot of gestures plus a smattering of English, but I didn't venture onto trains or buses alone. 

Assuming that you don't read Japanese, how do you find your DIY way everywhere without getting hopelessly lost?

Google maps - doesn't matter what the language is it will tell you where you are and whether or not your're going in the right direction. 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hank, I just had a chance to log in today (Thursday night here in the states) loved your report you are doing such an amazing job of describing everything and having experienced myself previously I can visualize taste and smell Japan. I just wish my next Japan cruise was sooner than 2 years from now. For us Japan is a place we want to return to many more times. I really do appreiate you brining us along.

[Aitchgeye]

9 hours ago, SFO Peter said:

Hank thanks for the reporting.  You reminded me that I usually borrow a cloth napkin from the ship when eating out in Japan.   Those tiny wet naps don't really do much for a messy eater like me.

Funny thing in the height of hot summer we ordered noodles and it came cold (refrigerated).   I almost sent it back but I then realized that they serve cold noodles in summer.

 

Peter

 

[Aitchgeye]

Also, I bring my own fork because I am a messy in using chopsticks.  Some Japanese cafes do not have forks to cater for us foreigners. 

[Hlitner]

Just got back to our hotel room after a crazy DIY day.  If I were to tell folks that we traveled over 400 miles (round trip) to Hiroshima, toured all the usual bomb-related sites, had enough food/water, and just got back in our hotel room...all for about $35, you would think I have had too much sake.  Sometimes, DIY travel can be very inexpensive and today might be a new record (for us).  We left our hotel about 7am this morning and grabbed the subway to the Kyoto Train Station.  While at the station we bought two croissants and a bottle of OJ which was to be our breakfast (normal for us).  At 8am we boarded the Hikari (bullet train) for Hiroshima where we arrived at 10.  We walked out of the station and caught a local bus to the Peace Park.  After walking around the park, we went into the nearby museum (dedicated to the bombing) where we spent about 1 1/2 hours.  From the museum we walked over to the infamous "bomb dome" which is the remains of the building shown in just about anything related to that A-Bomb.  We than walked about 3/4 of a mile over to Hiroshima Castle where we explored the park, had some amazing gelato (our lunch) and went inside the rebuilt castle (a 5 story pagoda) to explore.  

 

Finally we walked about 1 1/4 miles back to the train station where we stopped at Starbucks for some coffee before boarding our train back to Kyoto.  So how did we do this for $35 (total cost for two)?  The cost of our subway and bus rides cost us about $5 per person.  The trains were essentially free because they were covered by our rail passes which had already paid for themselves with just the trip from Tokyo and when we go back to Yokahama.  Breakfast and lunch cost us about $15 (total) and there were a few dollars for admission to the castle.  Our big splurge of the day was Starbucks where coffee and a bag of potato chips cost $9.   So my fellow cruisers/travelers, we are talking about a full day excursion to Hiroshima (1st Class Green Cars on bullet trains) that cost about $35 for two.  

 

As soon as we got back to our hotel, it was time for the daily free cocktail hour (only wine and snacks) where we toasted an interesting day.  Tonight, since we are exhausted, we will likely walk over to Shake Shack (yes, Danny Meyer has a presence here in Kyoto) for dinner since we re not real hungry, had a decent dinner last night (Peking Duck) and a special dinner planned for our last night (tomorrow).

 

So fans, this day has convinced DW and I that we would not recommend that cruisers spend their port day (usually in Osaka) going to Hiroshima.   Yes, we understand that Hiroshima attracts many visitors, but we do not think it is worth the hassle (and cost for most tours).  The city is nothing special, the museum is too one-sided (with a political slant that is not very accurate) and compared to places in Nara and Kyoto is just not a good option.  I am not going to get deep into the political/historical aspects other than to say that the museum attributes the A-Bomb attack to the US simply wanting to blunt any post war power (over Japan) that might be gained by the USSR!  Really?  There was also mention that the bomb was dropped to justify the expense of building the bomb!  I get that countries routinely rewrite history to suit their own purposes, but this was too much of a stretch.  If you want to ever see a museum that tries to take an accurate and even-handed approach to war go to the Peace Museum in Caen, France.  If you want to see a horrible event used for political purposes, then go to Hiroshima.

 

Hank

[roberts2005]

Just curious, how are you handling laundry ?

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just got back to our hotel room after a crazy DIY day.  If I were to tell folks that we traveled over 400 miles (round trip) to Hiroshima, toured all the usual bomb-related sites, had enough food/water, and just got back in our hotel room...all for about $35, you would think I have had too much sake.  Sometimes, DIY travel can be very inexpensive and today might be a new record (for us).  We left our hotel about 7am this morning and grabbed the subway to the Kyoto Train Station.  While at the station we bought two croissants and a bottle of OJ which was to be our breakfast (normal for us).  At 8am we boarded the Hikari (bullet train) for Hiroshima where we arrived at 10.  We walked out of the station and caught a local bus to the Peace Park.  After walking around the park, we went into the nearby museum (dedicated to the bombing) where we spent about 1 1/2 hours.  From the museum we walked over to the infamous "bomb dome" which is the remains of the building shown in just about anything related to that A-Bomb.  We than walked about 3/4 of a mile over to Hiroshima Castle where we explored the park, had some amazing gelato (our lunch) and went inside the rebuilt castle (a 5 story pagoda) to explore.  

 

Finally we walked about 1 1/4 miles back to the train station where we stopped at Starbucks for some coffee before boarding our train back to Kyoto.  So how did we do this for $35 (total cost for two)?  The cost of our subway and bus rides cost us about $5 per person.  The trains were essentially free because they were covered by our rail passes which had already paid for themselves with just the trip from Tokyo and when we go back to Yokahama.  Breakfast and lunch cost us about $15 (total) and there were a few dollars for admission to the castle.  Our big splurge of the day was Starbucks where coffee and a bag of potato chips cost $9.   So my fellow cruisers/travelers, we are talking about a full day excursion to Hiroshima (1st Class Green Cars on bullet trains) that cost about $35 for two.  

 

As soon as we got back to our hotel, it was time for the daily free cocktail hour (only wine and snacks) where we toasted an interesting day.  Tonight, since we are exhausted, we will likely walk over to Shake Shack (yes, Danny Meyer has a presence here in Kyoto) for dinner since we re not real hungry, had a decent dinner last night (Peking Duck) and a special dinner planned for our last night (tomorrow).

 

So fans, this day has convinced DW and I that we would not recommend that cruisers spend their port day (usually in Osaka) going to Hiroshima.   Yes, we understand that Hiroshima attracts many visitors, but we do not think it is worth the hassle (and cost for most tours).  The city is nothing special, the museum is too one-sided (with a political slant that is not very accurate) and compared to places in Nara and Kyoto is just not a good option.  I am not going to get deep into the political/historical aspects other than to say that the museum attributes the A-Bomb attack to the US simply wanting to blunt any post war power (over Japan) that might be gained by the USSR!  Really?  There was also mention that the bomb was dropped to justify the expense of building the bomb!  I get that countries routinely rewrite history to suit their own purposes, but this was too much of a stretch.  If you want to ever see a museum that tries to take an accurate and even-handed approach to war go to the Peace Museum in Caen, France.  If you want to see a horrible event used for political purposes, then go to Hiroshima.

 

Hank

Basically the same with Nagasaki.

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

Just curious, how are you handling laundry ?

For us it is not a problem.  We have two large cases plus 2 packed carry-ons.  During our pre-cruise time (only 11 days in Japan) we have plenty of clothes.  The truth is that one can get along with jeans for quite a while without laundry and we have plenty of tops.  Once on the Westerdam, we get unlimited laundry because of our Mariner status.  So, when we board next week, we will certainly be sending out a load of wash.  Back in the days before we got free laundry, we would simply pay for bags on HAL (and most other lines).  DW and I do not like to spend our travel (play) time doing laundry and are happy to pay to have it done.  

 

I should add, that if we did need to do laundry, our Kyoto hotel (where we are staying for 6 nights) will take care of laundry (it only takes about 1 day).