Thursday, 28 March 2019
Nagasaki, Japan

Today in Nagasaki, our first port after leaving China.  The weather has warmed up a little and I did see a few cherry blossoms, but most of what I saw this afternoon were grim reminders of why Nagasaki is an important shrine.  But first I will give a brief report on my day in Tianjin--brief because it really doesn't merit much more from the tourist.

Monday, 25 March 2019
Tianjin, China
Tianjin, a city of over ten million souls, is noted mostly for its location.  Only 90 minutes from the port area (where there is literally nothing to see, except a very wide highway with very little traffic, and large industrial buildings lining the sides of the road). And once you reach Tianjin, it's still another two hours travel time to Beijing.  Holland America offers several different ways of getting to Beijing, including an overnight excursion that is way too expensive (especially for a solo traveler, at $1200. a pop); or a free shuttle bus to a mall located about 30 minutes outside Tianjin, where one can take the metro into Tianjin to connect to the high-speed train to Beijing; or not quite as expensive, relatively as the overnight tour, one-day excursions to Beijing that leave in the wee hours of the morning and do not return to the ship until late at night, and which involve at least six hours of driving (if traffic is light).

Port to Tianjin Highway

Recently-Built High-Rise Apartment Buildings Crowd the Suburban Tianjin Skies

If I had never been to Beijing, I probably would have availed myself of one of these offerings, or as I did in Shanghai, arrange 
for local transportation and hotel in the city so that the six hour coach ride is split up into two days.  For many travelers, including 
some of the Westerdam's crew, this visit was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I am content with my memories (and my photos) of the four wonderful days Will and I spent in Beijing in 1994.  I might even post one or two photos from that trip.

So instead of going out on my own I decide to use a shuttle service directly from the ship to the center of Tianjin (about 75 minutes each way)—itself over-priced at $79. round-trip.  The tour drops passengers off at a convenient location and then gives us close to six hours to wander on our own.  Tianjin is not an easy city for English-speaking tourists.  Although locals are friendly and helpful there is almost no English (not on street signs, nor on maps) to smooth our way.  

I begin my day in Tianjin at the drop-off point:  “Ancient Cultural Street,” whose name contains three lies.  It is not ancient—built over the past ten years as a cheap market to satisfy needs of locals and tourists.  There might be some cultural aspects here, but the primary motive of every shop on every street is commerce.  And rather than a single street, the area is a warren of alleyways, hidden corners, and several large pedestrian-only streets.  I must admit, 

that it is quite loud and colorful.

A small river, criss-crossed by many bridges, some for pedestrians only, winds through the center of the city and provides nice vantage points for photographs, as well as peaceful walks along its banks.  The bridges are both old and new, and include a bridge with a ferris wheel on top of it (take that everyone else's "eye")!  Like Qingdao, Tianjin seems like a pleasant place to live.

Tomorrow's blog--my last day on the Westerdam--will bring us all to Nagasaki and Kagoshima, two more cities in Kyushu.  I will also post some pictures from Beijing 1994.  That will probably be my last post until I return home on Sunday.

Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Tianjin, China
Day 2
This is the Westerdam's second day in Tianjin, and after my nine-hour trip to the center of the city (75 minutes from the port), I have decided to stay on board today, instead of using a 45-minute free shuttle bus to a nearby (?) shopping mall.  When I returned to my cabin from dinner last night at about 9:30, several passengers just back from their all-day trip to Beijing and the Great Wall, looked like extras from "The Walking Dead."  When I asked one lady how the day went, all she could do was slowly shake her head from left to right, while her body was almost folded over at the waist.  I guess if one has never seen Beijing it would be important to travel there, but I am glad Will and I spent four days there, even though it was 25 years ago.  The bottom line of advice is, while there are many important port cities in China that can be visited on an ocean cruise, you really have to be on an extended land tour if you want to see Beijing.  The cruise lines are honest about the difficulties and the expense of getting to Beijing from their ships, but you do have to read the fine print very carefully.

So today I am remaining on board and relaxing.  While my body is here in northern China, my imagination returns to the more southern city of Qingdao.


Saturday, 23 March 2019
Qingdao, China

What is the name of the beer produced here?  It's hard to ignore the presence of Tsingtao beer anywhere you travel in this city of several million people.

Sprung up from a sleepy fishing village 150 years ago to a German beer-producing colony at the end of the 19th century, to a megalopolis of more than 10 million people today, Qingdao is the perfect representation of the new kind of China city.  More than a traditional city it is an agglomeration of purpose-built communities lined up one after the other against the sea on one side and mountains on the other.  Although there are few sites of specific interest to the tourist, the contrast between a traditional city like Shanghai and a new city like Qingdao is truly remarkable and important to see.

To avoid some of the walking I endured on my own in Manila, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, today I join an all-day tour, “The Best of Qingdao.”  We are warned before joining the tour group on board ship that the walk from the ship’s gangway to the tour bus is just under one mile (no kidding), mostly inside the port building. There are some moving walkways to help along the way, but this place is designed to handle the mega-ships of the future.

 A View of the Cruise Port Exterior from the Tour Bus

[As a side note:  to add to the difficulty of the walk, this morning’s room service breakfast is a total disaster:  the fruit on the fruit plate is so rotten my camera refused to take a photo, and the coffee was so cold, the cold milk actually warmed it up.  Since the shore excursion has an early start there is no time for ordering another meal, although I did manage one quick cup of coffee in the lounge on my way to meet the tour group.  This is the first food disaster of the cruise (on day 20)--not too bad a record.] 

Fortunately the day improves 
once the tour begins,   The sky is bright blue and the sunshine helps alleviate the 44 degree temperatures with which the day began.  The port building, while too large itself, is right close to the center of the city.  As we exit the parking lot we are immediately beneath an elevated highway, local train tracks, and buy streets.

Our first stop—primary driver of Qingdao's success (along with the train building industry)—is Tsingtao Brewery, where China’s most popular export alcohol is brewed and shipped worldwide.  If you have been on one brewery tour there isn’t much new at a second or third—everyone comes for the free samples.

Outside the Brewery, Signs Recognize the Longevity of the Beer's Popularity

Exhibit of Every Form of Bottle, Can, and Container Offered Around the World by Tsingtao

After some early-morning beer tasting, we drive through several dense high-rise sections of the city, each section reserved for a particular major activity:  e.g. banking, entertainment, government, social services, health, etc.  Since the city hugs the coast line of the Yellow Sea and the Pacific Ocean, we make brief stops at two beach areas, popular year-round, fronting large villas and estates.  

Zhaoqiao Pier--City Icon and Beer Label Symbol

We have a longer and more interesting stop at a large hillside complex, Zhanshan Temple, built in 1945.

We stop for a very large and very well-prepared Chinese lunch (with free Tsingtao beer, of course) at a local hotel after exploring the temple.  Our last stop before returning to the Westerdam (and the long return walk through the port building) is the large plaza outside St Michael's Cathedral (1934).  Part of the Germanic architectural heritage of the city, the square is a favorite spot for recently married couples to re-don their wedding clothes and pose for professional photographs.  Today being Saturday, the square is full of couples in varying degrees of formal wear and informal weariness.

The next blog will finally get to my two days in Tianjin--spoiler alert:  I do not go to Beijing.  Tonight, we sail out of Chinese waters on our way back to Japan, where we will move the clock forward one hour and hopefully return to more efficient wifi.

Monday, 25 March 2019
Tianjin, China
The Westerdam is docked in the port of Tianjin, about a 45 minute drive to the city of Tianjin, and well over three hours to Beijing.  But I will skip the usual chit-chat I indulge in at the beginning of each entry and instead jump right back to last Wednesday afternoon and my visit to the wonderful Shanghai Museum

Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Shanghai

The recently opened Shanghai Museum artfully displays treasures from over 2,000 years of Chinese history.  The building itself, shaped like a wheel, embodies the turning of time and progress through the ages.

The exhibits cover a wide spectrum of Chinese arts, from ancient Tibetan masks--

To a hand carved wooden book rest--

To exquisitely carved jade amulets and adornments--

To the history and development of Chinese royal and domestic furniture styles--

To timeless pottery and glass design.

My way back to the hotel takes me through the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar.  What was a small, restored traditional Shanghai Old Town when I was here in 1994 has now become an immense and very crowded shopping and entertainment grounds.  People watching is probably a more authentic activity than examining the restored buildings, but the area is a great deal of fun--and quite safe.  Locals and tourists flock here all day and evening.

Before turning in I get a few views of Shanghai by Night.

Thursday, 21 March 2019
Shanghai

After a good night of rest and a filling breakfast at the Campanile Hotel, I am ready for another day in Shanghai.  Today, however, the weather is not cooperating, the skies are gloomy, and rain keeps interfering with my picture taking.

Shanghai Campanile Hotel

I venture out by Metro to some high-end malls, but the shops and brands are little different than at home, although the architecture is often more dazzling.  My last stop before returning to the Bund for the free shuttle bus back to the Westerdam, I visit the largest remaining Buddhist temple in the city, still used by locals seeking solace, advice, or riches.  The Jing'an Temple is a reminder of how much of the old ways of life still survive in the most modern of Chinese cities.

I am back at the Bund by 1:30pm and back at the Westerdam in time for a late lunch at 2:15.  The next blog will take me and my readers to the next port, Qingdao, famous in America for its namesake beer, better known as Tsingtao and available in most Chinese restaurants and supermarkets in the US.