DIAMOND PRINCESS: Departure

Checking-in to the Diamond Princess was seamless and swift.  We were up to our room within half an hour, and our checked bags were already at our door.  Everyone is nice and helpful, even more so than for Crystal.

There are 2600 passengers and 1000 staff members.  The ambiance is good.

I've been on several cruises before, and this is the second largest room ever.  The bath tub is larger than the one I have at home:

As satisfying as the room might be, what was a particular joy was receiving all our bottles of scotch and gin surviving the baggage X-ray check.  I guess those fake shampoo/conditioner containers are just innocent enough to avoid scrutiny.  Each drink on the ship costs around $10.  The daily alcohol package costs $109/day, or almost nearly as much as the entire cruise.

We have a choice of the standard dining room dinner, or specialty restaurants.  As we couldn't get an early (5:30) dining time, we went earlier for an Italian meal, which of course costs extra:

The cuisine was Tuscany, and was excellent:

There was an opening appetizer, followed by a Penne con Brasato de Manzo (beef and wine sauce).  We shared a steak and a veal.  The bottle of Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon was $54.  The dessert, coffee creme brule'.  We were asked if we were celebrating anything, and we said anniversary...so on came a fancy chocolate dessert with a lit candle:

This is my first Princess cruise, and, frankly, I was surprised about the satisfying quality of life.  For the price.

-
Typhoon Kammuri is up to 93 MPH and is still projected to head in the general direction of Manila:

While potentially terrible for the Philippines, a couple days ago, Kammuri looked like it was headed for Taiwan and Okinawa, the destinations of our cruise.

-

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM JAPAN

 This is my second posting today, for it's Thanksgiving in the USA:

In Japan, that was yesterday.  Woke up this morning to a gorgeous view, tainted by that ugly tower:

However, snow on mountain tops....and could that be?  Yes, Mount Fuji just left of that eyesore:

We then went for breakfast.  Another feast:

A second shot of Mount Fuji later in the morning:

Day 10 of our Orient trip.  We later today board the Diamond Princess, with stops on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa and Taiwan.  

Some lowlights include too much beef tongue and no Pearl's Gold Koi at Matsumoto Castle.  But the highlights were aplenty, including almost perfect weather.  #1 has to be the Concierge Lounge at the Nagoya Marriott Associa:

#2 was the trifecta of Pearl's Black and White Koi and my Blue-bar Pigeon, with what looked very closely like Pearl's Gold Koi, at Seikkeien in Hiroshima;

#3, although, really the overall best, considering the daily encounters, were the Fall Colors:

The above colored hills were seen throughout on the Shinkansen rides, which leads to #4, the food, on the train, hotel breakfasts and, rarely, out at restaurants, the highlight being our Sendai wagyu beef lunch:

I might add that my United flight into Narita featured pretty good cuisine and drinks:

Tomorrow, the Diamond Princess.  Not quite sure when will be my next posting, for at-sea transmissions can sometimes be difficult.

-

Now a typhoon, Kammuri is heading for Manila, with landfall late Saturday or early Sunday.  The local name is Typhoon Tissoy, the 20th ocean storm of 2019:

-

HIROSHIMA TO YOKOHAMA

We left Kyoto by Shinkansen.  One day they hopefully will allow Japan Rail Passers to use the Nozomi class trains.  There are five times more of these than the Hikari, and they also go further so you can avoid transfers. 

We had to change to another bullet train at Shin-Kobe, meaning we had to carry our luggage out, wait for a while, and boarded the Sakura, which is the equivalent of the Hikari.  All these trains are similar and Green Car accommodations too.  It is a matter of timing and schedules.  A close-up of Kobe hills from the station:

My bento:

Hiroshima was founded in 1589 as a castle town, and now has a population of 2 million.  It is best remembered as the first city targeted for an Atomic Bomb, which was dropped on the city at 8:15AM on 6 August 1945.  Most of the city was destroyed and up to 166,000 died.  

We caught the Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus just by showing our Japan Rail Pass.  The Hiroshima Peace Memorial is a must visit:

We were a week early for Fall colors.

We also stopped at Shukkeien, a Japanese garden located adjacent to the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum.  Here is where Shoguns have lived and the Imperial General Headquarters were re-located.  Ground zero was close to this garden.

My particular interest was a Black and White Koi, which like the Matsumoto Gold Koi, ate a gel cap of Pearl's ashes.  Approaching the location:

My Blue-bar Pigeon led me to Pearl's Black and White Koi.  What a wonderful reunion.  Other Shukkeien scenes:

See that yellow Gingko Tree in the background?  This was about the only living thing that survived the Atomic Bomb, being almost at ground zero.  Below, this lantern also survived:

Interestingly enough, the only Gold Koi I saw here looked very similar to the Matsumoto Gold Koi:

A guide here, Hiro Yoshihara, gave us a personal tour and wished us goodbye:

Very, very nice man.

The Hiroshima Sheraton executive lounge is on par with most in Japan, except that they begin serving wine and beer from noon.

Finally, breakfast before our departure to Yokohama:

Fall colors from the Shinkansen:

Alas, Mount Fuji was clouded over.  My final bullet train bento for this trip:

Teriyaki chicken with beans, a hotdog, giant tempura hasu (lotus), rakkyo and musubi, with sake and beer.  Tomorrow, we board the Diamond Princess.

-