Miyako, Japan

[SDHALFAN]

Has anyone ever visited Miyako, or Hakodate in Japan? I'm wondering what there is to do other than visit a beach. The prices listed for the shore excursions in these two ports are exhorbitant to say the least, with the cheapest one being $133.00 for a 3-1/2 hour trip to a beach and a market (the next cheapest is $275.00).

 

Thanks in advance for any information you can give me.

 

Valerie:)

[SDHALFAN]

I'm feeling so lonely here with no replies whatsoever so I thought that I would just pop in to say: "Hi Valerie - how ya doin?:D

 

Okay, nobody has been to either of the two ports I asked about so I guess that I will just "wing it" and hope that they are lovely little towns where I can just amble around and enjoy the scenery (if anyone is "listening" please offer up a prayer or two that I might find a gift shop to buy some souveniers of my visit there;) )

 

Valerie:)

[kirin]

Dear Valerie,

 

As best as I can figure out, the Miyako you are stopping at is in Iwate Prefecture (I could be wrong, though). If that is correct it appears to be a small town on a bay. I would not expect much there, although rambling around a real "small town" in Japan could be a unique and interesting experience.

 

Hakodate is a well-known city with an interesting international history - there was once a British consulate there (and you can have tea there). There is a Russian Orthodox church and a French convent (30 minutes outside of the city.) It seems there is a big, traditional fish market in the morning near the bay and a shopping mall, made from old brick warehouses, on the waterfront, near the port. Sorry, but I have no idea how far these would be from where you are docked as I have yet to visit there. Most of this info came from a friend who has been there.

 

Goggle or a good guidebook should be able to give you ideas for Hakodate, but I think there is very little info for Miyako. Sorry.

 

I hope it is a wonderful cruise.......you will be seeing places most tourists don't get to and I hope that will enhance your experience.

 

Kate

[SDHALFAN]

Dear Kate:

 

Thank you so much for your reply - I really do appreciate your taking the time to do so.

 

Yes, the Miyako we are stopping at is indeed in Iwate Prefecture, and I agree with you that rambling around a small town in Japan should be a truly interesting experience - certainly one that none of my friends can boast about.;)

 

I did manage to get some information on Hakodate, including a small map that shows two ferry terminals so I'm thinking that we may dock somewhere close by there. Tea at the former British Consulate sounds like fun - I'm going to have to check that one out.:D

 

I'm sure that it will be a great cruise, especially since we will visit several "interesting ports".

 

Thank you once again for the information and for your good wishes.

 

Valerie:)

[bra1nchild]

This sounds suspiciously like the Amsterdam's Grand Cruise from Seattle to everywhere. We're doing a ship's tour in Hakodate but winging it, or even just relaxing on board, to save energy and money for Osaka and Kyoto.

 

Some many ports, so few credit cards....

[SDHALFAN]

This sounds suspiciously like the Amsterdam's Grand Cruise from Seattle to everywhere. We're doing a ship's tour in Hakodate but winging it, or even just relaxing on board, to save energy and money for Osaka and Kyoto.

 

Some many ports, so few credit cards....

 

This is indeed in reference to the glorious ms Amsterdam's "Grand Voyage" from Seattle, ending in San Diego. I'm pretty much "winging" everything also. I am not a "beach person" and couldn't justify the prices being asked for tours in Hakodate. I only have one tour booked through HAL right now, in Petropavlovsk, and am waiting for my travel agency to announce the tours they will be offering so I can compare their prices with the HAL tour prices.

 

See you onboard ship.:)

 

Valerie

 

p.s. "so many ports, so few credit cards......" - truer words were never spoken! With the U.S. dollar waaay down the toilet right now cruising is looking like a tremendous bargain, but shore excursions, in most of the world, are going to put a huge dent in anyone's budget.:eek:

[bra1nchild]

With the U.S. dollar waaay down the toilet right now cruising is looking like a tremendous bargain, but shore excursions, in most of the world, are going to put a huge dent in anyone's budget.:eek:

 

 

In a show of confidence in the dollar, I booked trips with "local" tour companies recommended in other posts. Several want payment in their own currency; others have quoted prices in USD but, upon questioning, admit that they might adjust them if the dollar slides more.

 

In a further show of confidence, I have purchased Vietnamese dong, Thai baht, Chinese yuan and Japanese yen ahead of time. It's a gamble I'm willing to take. Still thinking about HK dollars....

[SDHALFAN]

In a show of confidence in the dollar, I booked trips with "local" tour companies recommended in other posts. Several want payment in their own currency; others have quoted prices in USD but, upon questioning, admit that they might adjust them if the dollar slides more.

 

In a further show of confidence, I have purchased Vietnamese dong, Thai baht, Chinese yuan and Japanese yen ahead of time. It's a gamble I'm willing to take. Still thinking about HK dollars....

 

 

About how much in each currency have you purchased ? (if that's not too rude a question - if it is I apologise and withdraw the question:D) .

 

Last year, during the GWV I purchased Australian dollars ($200.00 I think) and Hong Kong dollars ($100.00 I think) aboard ship but could get a much better rate from my bank here if I planned ahead.

 

Valerie:)

 

p.s. Did you book a trip in Padang Bai? I want to go back to Ubud and Mas but don't want to take the HAL tour since I don't want to have to sit through that looooooooooong Barong Dance again. I'm still trying to decide if I should book a private tour or tell myself "hey, you have enough oil paintings and wood carvings".:D

[bra1nchild]

About how much in each currency have you purchased ?

 

I got most of the currency from Bank of America. Their rate isn't as good as some other banks, but that's where our account is; they charged the currency to our account.

 

Here are the currency amounts and the "rounded" cost:

 

Japenese Yen [JPY] ----------- 50,000 ------------ $525USD

Chinese Yen [CNY] --------------1,500 ------------ $239USD

Thai Baht [THB] --------------- 35,000 ------------$1240USD

 

We also purchased 2,200,000 [!] Vietnamese Dong from M&T Bank [which operates only in the East] for $150. That's really an approximation, give or take $5, because our daughter works for the bank and got it for us.

 

In all cases, there were no additional fees; BofA waived them because we are good customers and M&T didn't charge our daughter.

 

We got so much in JPY because we hope to take the bullet train to Kyoto and back; I think it's about 10,000JPY round trip per person. Our tour operator in Bangkok wants payment in cash and quoted the price in THB -- that will account for 21,000THB.

 

We won't be going as far as Bali unfortunately. Our son and his family live in Jakarta so we will try to meet up with him in Singapore or Cambodia for a family vacation. Our daughter is going to try to meet us in Singapore and return to Jakarta with them.

 

Wowzo [Mary Ann Darcy] may have made plans for a private guide in Bali. You might want to check with her via the Board. As for Mas, well, you can never have enough masks although I agree that seeing the Barong Dance once is enough. If I feel really desperate. I can always pull out last year's video.

 

Dave

[jacksan1]

I have not been here for a while. You are lucky to be able to get off the ship at Miyako. It's a boondock, which means that you will be able to see a true northern Japan. I am not being sarcastic - VERY FEW people get to see such a place, and you will have that opportunity. Good for you! :)

 

Hakodate is a neat town too. A little more touristy, but there is a lot of down-to-earthness about the place. The Hakodate "morning market" is a lot of fun if you can make it there.

 

We got so much in JPY because we hope to take the bullet train to Kyoto and back; I think it's about 10,000JPY round trip per person.

 

bra1nchild, where are you taking the bullet train from? Just for your information, a Tokyo-Kyoto roundtrip in the ordinary class costs about US $270 per person. If you are coming from Kobe, on the other hand, it would be about US $75 per person roundtrip. A strong yen really hurts these days....