Last Post

After an overnight flight and a lot of sleep, I am home safe and sound--so grateful for new friends, amazing experiences and new perspectives.... As someone said on ship, "Now the inner voyage begins..."

Thanks to everyone who has followed this blog....I look forward to seeing you all soon!

We're Coming to America!

Last Sunset at Sea

Sunrise over California

Coast Guard Escort

Parents' Boat

At 6:30 in the morning on December 13th we awakened to Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" played over the ship's PA system... The MV Explorer eased into San Diego Bay at dawn, escorted by a Coast Guard boat and several small craft full of parents with signs.  After docking, it was a busy time as luggage and boxes were offloaded and people said their farewells.  Then it was time to disembark, collect luggage and head for the airport....with so many emotions to sort through......

Almost Home!

Quote from Desmond Tutu at teh Alumni Ball

Rocky Rohwedder and I taught the Sustainable Communities courses

The trip between Hawaii and San Diego was a frantic time of final exams and grading....Finally, after the final grades were turned in, there was an Alumni Ball on the ship to celebrate the end of the voyage... Then packing.....

Hiking across a Volcano!

An Ohia tree in Kiluea Iki crater

The Kiluea Iki crater with the main Kiluea caldera in the background

The trip on the second day in Hilo was to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  We hiked through a lava tube and four miles across the crater of the Kiluea Iki volcano.  The volcano last erupted in 1994, and the floor of the crater was like a moonscape.  We also visited the research site on the rim of the main Kiluea caldera, and saw the seismographs used to monitor the seismic activity on all of the volcanoes on the island.  Finally we returned to the ship and departed Hawaii...sad that our trip is almost over....

Hilo and a Luau...

Beach house in Hilo

Volcanic beach

King Kamehameha

Making a lei at the luau

On the first day in Hilo I took a walk with a friend on the ship to some beach parks near the port.  The hard, black volcanic rock with the crashing waves makes a dramatic scene.  That evening we went to a luau sponsored by the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  Students and residence life staff taught us how to make leis from tea leaves and dye scarves (and some learned how to do a hula dance). 

Honolulu!

A rainbow on our first day in Honolulu

Control room of the HPower facility

Students in front of the HPower Waste to Energy plant

The MV Explorer in Honolulu

On the beach with Diamond Head in the distance

On the first day in Honolulu I led a trip to the HPower Waste to Energy facility, where they burn municipal waste to produce electricity.  There was a great group of students on the trip who asked lots of good questions about the process, air pollution issues, and alternative forms of energy production.  Later that night I had a great Hawaiian dinner with some faculty from the ship at The Willows, an open-air restaurant that has been in Honolulu since 1947.  The second day was a relaxed day of hiking around downtown Honolulu and shopping....finding just the right Hawaiian shirt and some Christmas presents.

Ten straight days of classes....and rough seas!

My Sustainable Communities class

Our last lifeboat drill

After Japan, we had our final marathon of ten straight days of classes.  The seas were rough almost every day, so we all got used to the ship rocking and rolling during class....  Finally we had the last day of classes and reached Honolulu!  We will spend two days in Honolulu and two in Hilo, before setting sail for San Diego.  Final exams are after Hawaii, so I have lots of grading of papers and exams to do in the next week!

Tokyo and Yokohama....

Plastic Food Shop!

The Asahi Brewing Company Building

With Liz, Hale and Emi

With Emi, Yumiko, and Liz

In the evening, Emi's friend Hale met us at a local traditional Japanese restaurant, and we were joined by two other recent RC alums--Liz, who is doing graduate work in Japan, and Yumiko, who lives and works in Yokohama.  Thanks to Mrs. Sakae, after dinner we were able to have drinks at the Roppongi Hills Club, an exclusive club atop one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo.  The next day, we took a walking tour with Emi, Hale and Liz around one of the older sections of Tokyo and saw the Asahi Brewing Company headquarters building (shaped like a beer glass) and the oldest temple in Tokyo, built around 900 AD.  The neighborhood around the temple was fascinating, with many small shops and restaurants, including one that only sold the plastic replicas of food.  After a tiramisu latte at a local cafe, we all took the train back to Yokohama, where we met up with Yumiko again.  Tina and I are so grateful to Emi, Hale, Liz and Yumiko for sharing so much of their time on a holiday weekend with us!  It really made our trip to Japan memorable!... Finally, I had to board the ship again and Tina, Emi, Hale and Liz headed back to Tokyo.  Tina flew out of Tokyo the next morning....