Nagasaki

We visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and the Peace Park connected with it. Each country has contributed a statue dedicated to peace, and they are all lovely. The huge bronze statue (30 ft.) The outlines of what was a police station (before the bombing) are pictured, and hopefully you can read the explanation on the sign.

Pictures from Kyoto and Shimizu, 14&15..4.09

It poured all day when we went from Osaka to Kyoto, and it was cold. Pictured here us the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion and garden) and the Heian Jingu Shrine. It is customary for the believers to wash before entering. Pictured here, one man not only washed his hands, but drank from the cup, also.
The garden at the Golden Pavilion is beautiful!
We were very fortunate to be able to see Mt. Fuji very clearly, even from the ship, while we were in Shimizu, and there was local entertainment on the pier.
During the entire time that we were in Japanese territorial waters, there was a complete blackout on all electronic equipment, such that we were without use of computers and telephones from -April 11 to 17! If I meant to write more, I have long since forgotten; sorry.

Pictured from Gulangyu Island

Since I was able to upload pictures from Shanghai, I thought I would try again with some from Gulangyu:

Shanghai

Shanghai is a beautiful, vibrant, modern city! Actually, I saw it mostly from a bus, as I cannot walk great distances. I need to check on my left hip, once I am back in Zürich. In any case, it is a huge complex with exciting architecture, and no two buildings alike. In the nightime, the lights make the buildings even more exciting. I took dozens of pictures of the various buildings.
I took the shuttle bus into the center in the morning, and ended up buying myself a Chinese Jacket (in bright red! ) although I had not intended to buy anything. While I was in the Silk Building, I saw a demonstration of how slik quilts are made, starting with the ball of silk threads that surround the silk worm, itself. They are opened so the worm is removed, and the ball of fiber is quickly rinsed in clear waqter, then stretched over a small form, and when there are three or four such layers, they are removed, rinsed, and stretched over a larger form. Then they are next stretche d over a large bed size table with 4 or 5 ladies each pulling at it, and finally they are piled together, and fit into a colorful cover, and Voilà! a beautiful silk quilt.
The sunset was a huge ball of orange in the sky.
Then, in the evening, I attended an acrobatic show which was fantastic! Some of the acts were absolutely spectacular! Unfortunately, it was forbidden to take pictures during the performance, and anyway I don't know how to use my camera for night scenes.
Tomorrow, we enter Japanese territorial waters, and no internet electronic equipment (including cell phones) will be able to function until we leave on the 19th. This cruise is really racing to a conclusion. There is also a complicated formality for every guest in order to clear Japanese immigration rules, including temperature, finger prints, etc., and apparently it is madatory for everyone on the cruise, even if they don't intend to go ashore!

Try Again

I am just back from a quick trip into Shanghai, and ended up buying myself a jacket, which I had NOT intended to do! More about Shanghai at a later date.Right now, I really want to go up to the pool area while the sun is still shining. The question is whether I can upload the pictures that couldn't be sent yesterday:
It timed out again! I'll try once more. Sorry, it keeps timing out.

Attention Everyone!

From Saturday, April 11 until Sunday, April 19 it will be impossible for us to use either the internet or the cell phone. The Japanese have restricted the use of C-Band communication service while we are in Japanese territorial waters.
These photos were all taken yesterday while in Xiamen and Gulangyu Island. Unfortunately, the electric car went much too fast, for me to focus, and I couldn't get a decent photo of the statues that appeared all over the Island. The tall statue on the promontory is supposed to be the tallest in China. On the left , is the puppet Theatre, and a Chinese street cleqaner on the right (in the rain).
I keep getting interrupted while trying to upload more photos; I'll have to try some other time.

Xiamen/Gulangyu Island

Unfortunately, if I don't write every day, I seem to forget what came in between. However, I know all of us were quite annoyed in Hong Kong because there was satellite interference, and we were without the internet for a few days. When it finally came on, I had 36 messages, and the very first one was using up about 9 megabytes of space, and after 2 hours, it had still NOT completely downloaded, and then it went dead, which meant starting all over again! I thought I had requested a long time ago that no one send me such long emails. Anyway, I finally cleared it off my screen by getting up at 04:30h and trying again (while no one else on the ship would be using email) and this time, within 10 minutes the offensive email cleared, and the rest of the messages downloaded. It was a bunch of photos which I still haven't looked at! Fortunately, I signed up at the beginning of the cruise for maximum time on the internet, so the 2 hours didn't actually cost me any extra.
After the cooking course in Hong Kong, I didn't go ashore anymore, although we remained in port for two more full days. I have great difficulties in walking any distances, due to pain in my left hip. I will check it out when I get home.
Yesterday, we were in Xiamen, and the weather was miserable, but I took a tour of Gulangyu Island which was quite interesting in spite of the rain. The only traffic on the island is by electric cart, and there are statues all over that I would have liked to photograph, but the cart didn't stop for anything, and it went so fast that I had no time to focus, and therefore ended up discarding many of the photos I did take. The highpoint of the tour was a Chinese Puppet Show at the University Art School, and that was fantastic! My other problem was that there was a great deal more walking required than had been announced, and I was very uncomfortable (and wet!).
In the evening, I had dinner with Pat Laster and her son, at the Silk Road and that was quite enjoyable and very good (as always). Pat is my Yoga teacher.
The night before was the Captain's Welcome Cocktain Party, and I joined the "Swiss contingency", Werner and Beber, both of whom live in Zürich! 0ops! I'm going to be late for Bridge lessons: Have a good day, everyone. I will post my pictures, separately, later.