Rick's Semester at Sea Journal

Last Post

2010-12-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-12-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

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....

2010-12-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

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....

Japan: Yokohama and Tokyo.... and Randolph Alums!

2010-11-28T02:03:00.000-08:00

With Emi in front of the Diet Building

After a day sail from Kobe, we arrived in Yokohama. Tina and I were met in Yokohama by Emi Tokubuchi, RMWC '94, who works for the Sakae Institute of Study Abroad in Tokyo. The Sakae Institute helps Japanese students connect with colleges and universities in the US. We traveled with Emi by train to Tokyo, where we took a walking tour of the area around the Japanese Diet Building, and met Liz at the Sakae Institute offices. We were warmly greeted by Mrs. Sakae, and Emi showed us some of her photos and yearbooks from her time at RMWC.

Japan: Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto

2010-11-28T01:46:00.000-08:00

Our welcoming band in Kobe

Bunraku Theater poster in the subway station

Bunraku Theater performance in Osaka

Nijo Castle main building, home of the shogun

Nijo Castle

Zen dry gardens

Bell at Ryoan-ji Temple

Buddha at Ryoan-ji

The Golden Pavilion

After a couple of days at sea, teaching classes between China and Japan, we arrived in Kobe, Japan on November 19th. We were greeted at the dock early in the morning by a small brass band that played "When the Saints Come Marching In"! Kobe is an industrial port with not much to see in terms of culture, so many of the field trips in Kobe involved train or bus trips to nearby cities. On our first day we traveled to Osaka for a performance of the National Bunraku Puppet Theater. I really did not know what to expect, but the performance was fascinating. Bunraku is a complex form of puppetry that dates to the 17th Century. Three puppeteers manipulate the puppets in extremely complex and subtle movements, while narrators tell stories passed down from generations. We were able to see two very different performances.

The second day in Kobe involved a day-long trip to Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan for 1,000 years, and many of the best temples, gardens and palaces are there, making it a very popular destination for both foreign tourists and also Japanese tourists. We first saw the Sanjusangen-do temple which has 1,001 statues of a Buddhist goddess of mercy. Next we toured the extensive Nijo Castle, home to the shogun and his samurai. Photos were prohibited inside the temple and palace, so we bought postcards to remember our visit. The third visit was to the Ryoan-ji Buddhist temple, which features a Zen dry garden for meditation. We also were able to wander around the tranquil lake and gardens that surround the temple. Our last stop for the day was the Kinkaku-ji temple, containing the famous Golden Pavilion. It was a holiday weekend in Japan, so the temple was crowded, but we were able to stroll around the gardens for awhile and take some wonderful photos.

Shanghai, Day 2

2010-11-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

Sculpture in the Shanghai Museum

The skyline just before we sailed

The trip on the second day in Shanghai was to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall--a six story building next to People's Square in the middle of Shanghai, devoted exclusively to displays of urban planning and the history of Shanghai's architecture. One entire floor of the building is devoted to a model of Shanghai.... it is overwhelming! We had a very knowledgeable guide who talked with us about the challenges that Shanghai is facing as it expands to an expected 30 million people in 2050. The upper floor of the building contains several displays about Shanghai's greening efforts. I took lots of photos that I have already used in classes on ship. In the afternoon, Tina and I visited the Shanghai Museum and took a walk through downtown Shanghai and along the Bund near the river back to the ship. Shanghai overwhelms the senses... It is a dynamic city with incredible architecture and ambitious plans......

Shanghai!

2010-11-20T04:46:00.000-08:00

We spent two relaxing days at sea between Hong Kong and Shanghai. Many of the Semester at Sea folks were taking overland tours to Beijing and the Great Wall, so there were few people on the ship. The crew made us special dinners and we were able to catch up on some reading and sleep. We arrived in Shanghai early on the third day, and again docked right in the center of the city, with amazing views of the skyline. The photo at the top above is the view from our ship. Fifteen years ago, that area was all rice paddys! Shanghai is a city of between 21 and 22 million people--twice the size of New York City, and is growing exponentially, with all of the development and planning issues that kind of growth brings. We had scheduled two trips in Shanghai, both related to sustainable development. On the first day a group of several faculty, along with about 15 students met in the offices of Gensler Architects, designers of the Shanghai Tower. The Shanghai Tower is scheduled for completion in 2014 and will be the second tallest building in the world. It incorporates many green building features, including geothermal HVAC, wind turbines at the top of the building, and a rainwater collection system for greywater use. The shape of the building is a spiral which reduces wind force, so the building can be designed with fewer materials. The Gensler architects were very generous with their time and described in detail the structural and environmental characteristics of the building.

Last Day in Hong Kong

2010-11-20T04:25:00.000-08:00

Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery

Overlook at the Peak Tram station

Bubba Gump Shrimp at the Peak

On our second day in Hong Kong, Tina and I explored Hong Kong Island. We first found the Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery that our guide for the hike recommended. It had some great interactive exhibits on current conditions and future plans for Hong Kong, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability. Afterward, we rode the Peak Tram to the top of the ridge overlooking Hong Kong. There was a huge shopping and restaurant area at the top, so we indulged in some western style food by having lunch at Bubba Gump' Shrimp at the top. On the way back to the ship we explored some of the incredible commercial architecture in Hong Kong's financial district, and then set sail for Shanghai that evening...

Night Market in Hong Kong

2010-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Restaurant along Canton Road

Temple Street Night Market

Holiday decorations in Hong Kong

After the hike on the first day in Hong Kong, Tina and I set out with a friend from the ship to explore the Night Market. We first had dinner at a small restaurant along Canton Road near the port (see above), and then walked about 10 blocks to the night market along Temple Street. The night market was colorful, crowded, noisy and fun. Vendors were much less pushy than we have experienced in other ports, and our friend was a great bargainer! Tina bought a silk jacket and some fans, and I got a dragon shirt.

Hong Kong

2010-11-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

At Lion Rock above Hong Kong

Ship's photographer documenting the hike

Some were too close for comfort....

The view of Hong Kong skyline from our ship

After three days of rough seas and classes, we arrived in Hong Kong the morning of November 11 for a two day visit. Hong Kong has around 7.5 million residents living in 1, 100 square kilometers of land, making it the most densely populated city in the world. Despite that , they have managed to preserve large areas of the surrounding wooded hills as "country parks". Our dock was right in the middle of the city between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, so we had a stunning view of the skyline. The first day we arrived I led a seven mile hike along a ridge overlooking Kowloon and Hong Kong. Our local guide is a Swiss native who has been a resident of Hong Kong for 28 years and has been very active in local conservation efforts. You can read more about his organization at www.walkhongkong.com. The hike was really challenging, but we saw some amazing views of Hong Kong and talked about sustainability issues. We also saw quite a few wild monkeys along the hike.

Last Day in Vietnam

2010-11-19T06:56:00.000-08:00


Nga and Truc in front of the high school that Nga and our RC student Lan went to. We got to learn about the Vietnamese educational system.

War Remnants Museum

Saigon street scene

Saigon skyline as we leave

We were fortunate enough to have our tour guide (Nga) back again for this last day in Vietnam plus another one of Lan's friends, Truc, who joined in as well and took us on quite a tour. They were just great and we really appreciated getting to see Vietnam through their eyes. We were able to take them out to lunch to thank them for all of their time and it was a real treat! We visited Nga and Lan's high school in central Saigon, and also the War Remnants Museum nearby. It was both interesting and disturbing to see the Vietnam war portrayed from their perspective. We got back to the ship in the mid afternoon and sailed back out the Saigon River early the next morning (Nov. 8)

Cambodia and Angkor Wat

2010-11-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

Tina climbing to the top level of Angkor Wat

Khmer dancers

Indiana Barnes and the temple of ......

Buddha faces

On the second day in Saigon we left for a three day Semester at Sea trip to Cambodia and Angkor Wat. We flew to Siem Reap and spent the afternoon visiting and climbing Angkor Wat-the largest temple. Note the pics that show proof that Tina did indeed climb to the highest level of the temple. In the evening we went to a restaurant that featured a show of traditional Cambodian dancing. The second day was "temple marathon" day...we visited ten smaller temples near Angkor Wat. In many ways the smaller temples were more impressive than Angkor Wat. Some had been completely cleared of the jungle vegetation and others had been left with tree roots snaking through the temple stones. Tina's favorite temple was the one that is in "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider". It was truly cool. As the sun set on Angkor Wat we expected the treasure to be revealed when the sun hit a certain spot. No such luck!

More Vietnam Photos

2010-11-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Reunification Palace (former Presidential Palace)

A war room in basement of Palace

Water puppet show

Central Committee Building at night

Nya and friends from the ship at dinner

Good Morning, Vietnam!

2010-11-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Dawn along the Saigon River

A typical row of houses in Saigon

Buddhist temple in Saigon

"Uncle Ho" statue with Central Committee Building

After only one day at sea between Singapore and Vietnam, we sailed up the Saigon River at dawn on November 3rd to Ho Chi Minh City (which the locals still call Saigon). On the first day we toured the city and saw a Buddhist temple, and the former Presidential Palace (now called the Reunification Palace), where the North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates in 1975 when Saigon fell. At the palace we saw the underground war rooms that still had maps posted from wartime. We also drove past some of the major buildings in downtown Saigon, some of which remain from French colonial times. Saigon is now a bustling major city, with chaotic traffic. Like China, the Vietnamese have embraced free market capitalism in their economy, while still maintaining a communist government. After our tour, we met Nga, a high school classmate of one of our Randolph College students from Saigon, and she took us to one of her favorite restaurants. The food was great and we only paid a little over $25 for six people! More about Nga after Cambodia....

Singapore!

2010-11-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

National Botanical Garden

Market in Singapore's India Town

Frying Chicken (Chef Mac is on the left)

Tina and our team preparing Kung Pao Chicken

Our creation... We ate it for lunch

Our voyage has been a whirlwind of activity since Tina Boarded in Singapore, so it has been awhile since I have posted. The ship arrived in Singapore early on Sunday, Oct. 31, and Tina was there waiting to board! We threw her bags in the cabin and immediately headed out to do a city orientation tour. Singapore is incredibly clean and landscaped. Someone called it "Disneyland with the death penalty". Even our landing passes had "Death penalty for drug possession" printed in red on them. We had a wonderful time in Singapore, though. On the first day we visited the National Orchid Gardens and the Chinatown and India Town sections of the city. That evening we went to the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. Since it was Halloween, the Night Safari was decorated with ghouls and goblins, and zombie tour guides. The students loved it and really got into the spooky tram ride.

The second day we went to the At Sunrice culinary school and learned how to cook Kung Pao Chicken and Fried Rice. We got the recipes and are looking forward to preparing a dinner when we return!

Tina on her way to Singapore!

2010-10-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

We are now at sea again on our way to Singapore. Tina is flying out of Washington today, and will meet me in Singapore on Sunday morning! Watch the blog for future updates on our travels together!

Thoughts about India

2010-10-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

Auto rickshaw with Hindu temple in background

Before we arrived in India, we were told in pre-port presentations that India is a country of contrasts, and that there are aspects of the culture we will love and others we will find frustrating. My experience in India fit that description. The colors, the beauty of the people and the ancient temples, and the food were amazing. However, India is a chaotic country in some ways. Bureaucratic procedures are inconsistent and unpredictable, and infrastructure such as water, sewage treatment and electrical power are either absent or in bad repair. At DakshinaChitra the power would go off at random times and the water system was sometimes broken. The gap between rich and poor is huge. Still, India manages to function as the world's largest democracy, and there is remarkable tolerance for different religions and philosophies. My experience here only scratched the surface in understanding India. Hopefully I can return some day.

DakshinaChitra and Yoga

2010-10-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Hamsa Priya during a break

A yoga session

Textile Art

Sari weaver

Lunch on a banana leaf

We arrived at DakshinaChitra in the early afternoon. DakshinaChitra (which means "view of the south") is a heritage village and craft cooperative. They have brought traditional houses and other buildings from several regions of southern India, and demonstrate and sell local arts and crafts such as textiles, stone and wood carvings, and jewelry. We saw a weaver working on a silk sari and were told that it takes him 10 days working at least 8 hours a day to make one six meter sari. Our group was housed in the guest houses at the site and did our yoga lessons in the assembly hall. The meals were all vegetarian and represented south Indian cuisine (and were delicious!). The yoga lessons were taught by Dr. HamsaPriya, who took up the Art of Living yoga after she retired as a professor of political science. She has taught the Art of Living yoga to Semester at Sea groups for several years, and also has served as an interport lecturer on India for other voyages. The Art of Living form of yoga stresses control of breathing and meditation. The sessions were intense, with stretching exercises, chanting, and long periods of meditation.

Temples at Mamallapuram

2010-10-28T02:58:00.000-07:00

Cave temple

Carving of Vishnu holding the goddess of the Earth

"Krishna's butterball"

Bas relief at Mamallapuram

Wild monkeys in Mamallapuram

The five ratha temples carved from solid rock

Cows roaming along the road from Mamallapuram

On the second day in India I left for a three day yoga experience at DakshinaChitra, a heritage village of south Indian life and an artist cooperative. On the morning of the first day we visited Mamallapuram, where there are Hindu temples carved out of solid rock in the eighth century. We had a great tour guide who explained in detail the meanings of the carvings. However, during the tour we were besieged by people hawking all kinds of crafts and wares.

India! Day 1

2010-10-28T02:37:00.000-07:00

Our welcoming party

Whispering in Ganesh's ear....

We arrived at Chennai, India early in the morning of October 22 to a welcoming party of musicians on the dock. Security in India is very tight, so before the ship could be cleared by immigration, we had to appear individually and present our passport and visa information. Passports were checked frequently by port security officers as we left or returned to the ship.

Ganesh, the remover of obstacles

I went on a City Orientation tour on the first day that visited several churches and temples, as well as a fort built by the British that now houses government buildings for the Tamil Nadu province. The Hindu temple was the most interesting stop for the day. The Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesh is considered the "remover of obstacles" and it is good luck to whisper a wish in his ear. At the temple I whispered that Tina have a safe trip to Singapore!

Class time and Sea Olympics

2010-10-28T02:20:00.000-07:00

Between Mauritius and India we had several days of classes, culminating in the Sea Olympics just before we arrived in India. The cabin areas of the ship are divided into "seas", with each sea having it' own color and events--somewhat like different dorms on a land campus. In the Sea Olympics, the seas compete against each other in events like crab soccer, jeopardy, sustainable art, tug of war, and many other events. The faculty, families, and Life Long Learners were organized into their own sea for the Olympics, called the "Nomer Sea" (no mercy!). I competed with a team in the sustainable sculpture event, and we created a version of the spiral of trash in the Pacific called the Pacific Gyre. The Carribean Sea students won the Olympics, and won the right to get off the ship first in San Diego, and also have a party in the Faculty/Staff Lounge. Nomer Sea came in third of ten seas, the highest any faculty/staff team had ever placed. It was a day of silliness and fun...a nice break from classes and seriousness.

Sugar factory

2010-10-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

Cane crushing machine

The sugar production process (click to enlarge)

Kinds of sugar

Bagasse used for energy production

View of mountains from the factory

Unfortunately lunch took a long time so we were limited in the time we could spend at the sugar factory. The factory we visited had been converted into a museum of sugar production called the "Sugar Adventure". Displays showed how the cane is crushed and the juice converted into sugar and molasses for rum. A number of different kinds of sugar are produced--from refined white sugar to dark molasses flavored sugar. There was a sugar tasting at the end of the tour. The leftover cane (called "bagasse") is used to produce electricity to run the factory and to power surrounding homes (renewable energy!).

Tea Plantation

2010-10-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

Solar building under construction

Tea plantation house

Vanilla tea and scones

A Hindu temple near Curepipe

Tea leaves arriving at the factory

A tea field

Lunch near the tea factory

The first day in Mauritius, I toured a tea plantation and sugar factory. On the way to the tea plantation we passed a new building that is being constructed to run on solar power. We also went through several small towns and saw some Hindu temples. The majority of Mauritians are Hindu, with the remainder Christian and Muslim. We first toured the plantation house and then a tea factory, where we observed the process of the tea leaves being dried, shredded, cleaned and packaged. After touring the factory we had lunch at a chalet overlooking the tea fields and the ocean, before driving to the sugar factory.

Touring the Bridge

2010-10-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Bridge tour

Cap'n Rick at the helm

Controls at the helm

View from the bridge

On the day before we got to Mauritius, I toured the bridge on the ship, and learned a lot about navigation and safety on board. The crew showed us several navigation charts, including one indicating areas of pirate activity that we are avoiding (!).....While we were touring the bridge, we saw a pod of dolphins following the ship.

Ship life between ports

2010-10-15T00:29:00.000-07:00

Classroom for one section of Environmental Psych

Student studying in the library

A personal space exercise in the Union

Classroom for Sustainable Communities

Conversations in the Piano Lounge

I realized that I have not posted much to the blog about life on board ship when we are between ports. When we are at sea, we have classes every day, including weekends. In a typical day I will do class prep in the morning and attend the required Global Studies class, and have one or two classes each afternoon. Often there are seminars and meetings in the evenings about shipboard life and information about upcoming cultures and ports. We also started a Sustainability Club that meets every other evening at dinner time when we are at sea. So far the Sustainability Club has sponsored a water conservation program, an evening "Sustainability Summit" to provide information on the ship's environmental performance, and is raising money to plant trees in Kenya to offset some of the carbon from the voyage. One of our interport lecturers was Cathy Adams, a VP for IBM who is very involved with global sustainability issues. She has arranged to have 1000 trees planted in honor of the Fall 2010 voyage, and the Sustainability Club is trying to double that number of trees. Above are some photos of life on board ship, and I will add more later.

Wetlands Restoration

2010-10-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

On our last day in South Africa I took a tour with Rocky Rohwedder, who teaches the other section of Sustainable Communities, and a small group of students to two wetlands restoration projects. The projects not only restore wetlands, but also provide much needed jobs (the unemployment rate in South Africa is currently about 25%). The sponsoring group is called Working for Wetlands (http://wetlands.sanbi.org/wfwet/). It was a great tour and the students asked good questions linking the project to the three aspects of sustainability: environment, economy and equity. We sail for Mauritius tonight and will be rounding the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean.

Two Oceans Aquarium

2010-10-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Two Oceans Aquarium

With the Archbishop on his 79th birthday

Nobel Square on the Cape Town waterfront

Clouds shrouding Table Mountain

Well...... I had planned to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain today, but the mountain was covered in clouds all day. So instead I visited the Two Oceans Aquarium... Some interesting displays, and there were a number of Semester at Sea folks there, since it was a good thing to do on a cloudy day. Also roamed around on the dock. There is a plaza with statues of the four South African Nobel Prize winners: Albert Luthull, F.W. de Klerk, Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu. Today is the Archbishop's 79th birthday. There was a gala birthday party for him on board ship, attended by many South African dignitaries, and he officially retired from public life today (see http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6960O520101007).

African Safari

2010-10-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Solar array for the game preserve

"Ranger Rick" on safari....

Elephant altruism

Today we took a 2 hour bus tour north of Cape Town to Aquila Game Preserve, in the Karoo Highlands. The ecology there is much drier and more mountainous than the area around Cape Town. This was not a "sleep out under the stars and listen to the wild animals at night" kind of safari. It was a drive in 4x4's around a 26,000 hectare preserve to observe rhinos, hippos, wildebeest, eland, springbok, and elephants at close range...and lions at a distance! It was fascinating to watch the animal behavior first-hand and somewhat in the wild. The two male elephants were particularly interesting. One was laying in a mud pit and was having difficulty getting up. The other came over and used his head to help the first one turn over to get up (see above)!

And the preserve buildings were powered by a solar array!

Cape Town, Day 2

2010-10-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

Today I was scheduled to go on a tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27 years, however the ferry is broken and the part will not arrive for several days. Instead, we toured the District 6 museum, which documents the forced removal and destruction of a mixed race neighborhood near downtown during the apartheid regime. We also toured the Holocaust museum and talked about similarities between apartheid in SA and the restrictive laws against Jews in Germany in the 1930's. Finally, we walked through the gardens in the center of town beside the Parliament buildings. In the early years of Cape Town in the 1600's and 1700's, the garden was used to grow vegetables for passing ships of the Dutch East Indies Corporation.

Cape Town, Day 1

2010-10-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Cape Town at dawn on Sunday morning and watched the sun rise over the city. Later in the day I took a city orientation tour and learned quite a bit about the history of the city and about apartheid. On some days, the clouds dramatically roll over the top of Table Mountain in a phenomenon the locals call the "table cloth". We saw the Parliament buildings and visited the cathedral from which Desmond Tutu led marches in defiance of the apartheid regime.

Since you asked....

2010-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Group photo with Archbishop Tutu (who also shaved his head!)

Several people have asked if women on the ship also shaved their heads on Neptune Day. A number of female students shaved their heads, including some partial shaves and Mohawks. One female student who had shaved her head in the past year gave a presentation on what the experience meant to her in terms of increasing her self-confidence and expanding her attitudes about beauty.

In King Neptune's Court...The crossing the line ceremony

2010-09-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

For hundreds of years, it has been a tradition in the Royal Navy, US Navy, and Marines to initiate those who cross the equator for the first time (polywogs) into King Neptune's court. First, though, they have to prove their worthiness by undergoing several rituals. Once accepted into King Neptune's Court, they become "shellbacks". Because we crossed the equator at the prime meridian, there is a special status of "royal diamond shellback" (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony for some fascinating history about the tradition.)

Soaked with "fish guts"

Kissing a fish

Kissing King Neptune's ring

Before

During

After!

Today we had the crossing the line ceremony on ship and it involved being soaked with "fish guts", kissing a fish, kissing the rings of King Neptune and his Queen, and being knighted by Davy Jones. It is also traditional for initiates to have their hair cut off. Sooooo.....

0/0 !

2010-09-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

At approximately 12:30 local time the ship crossed the equator at the Prime Meridian...0 degrees latitude and 0 degress longitude. The captain blew the ship's horn as we crossed the spot, so conceivably if you were standing amidships, you could be in all four hemispheres at the same time!

2010-09-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

A photo that Tina Johnson might like.... Small sales stalls in Ghana often have sayings on them--mostly religious references but sometimes other kinds. The "Travel is Part of Education" sign was a stall in Elmina near the harbor. The flag was on a fishing boat behind the stall....

2010-09-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Kakum National Park canopy walk

2010-09-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Obama plaque next to the entrance to the slave dungeon

"Door of no return" at Cape Coast slave castle

2010-09-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

A female slave dungeon

The "door of no return" at Elmina

Elmina slave castle

2010-09-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

African dancing workshop

Attempting to keep the rhythm....

The head drummer with a Djembe drum

….. So many emotions and experiences in the past three days in Ghana. I have fallen into bed each night exhausted and too tired to post to the blog. We are now getting ready to leave port on our way to South Africa, so I am taking some time to post a few thoughts:

On Wednesday I participated in an African drumming and dancing workshop in Takoradi. In the morning we saw a performance by a combined group from Accra and Takoradi, and then we split into two groups to learn drumming and dancing. I enjoyed the drumming, and I tried the dancing….*smile* We also were able to talk with the performers and some neighborhood children who wandered in…. The joy of the music was in such contrast to the conditions in the neighborhoods.... There is a lot of poverty here, but people seem to be doing what they need to get by without complaining. Everywhere you go there are people hawking whatever they can make or find to sell…

Thursday was a much more somber day. We visited two of the castles that for four hundred years were used to house slaves before they were put on ships to go to the New World. Elmina castle is the oldest and largest of what once was a chain of slave castles along the west African coast. Learned a lot about the origins of the slave trade and the brutal conditions under which the slaves were held. It is an eerie feeling to stand at the doorways of the two castles where the slaves left to board the ships. President Obama spoke here a year ago, and there is a plaque commemorating that event in the Cape Coast castle. People here are enthusiastic about Obama and the US… The current President of Ghana is John Mills, and I saw an election poster on the side of a building that had photos of Mills and Obama with the words “Mills and Obama, a leadership team we can trust!”

On Friday we took a tour of the Kakum National Park, two hours from Takoradi in the central region of Ghana. It is one of the few remaining sections of rainforest in the region. Walked along the suspended canopy walk 40 meters above the ground. However, we did not see much wildlife, since most of the animals are nocturnal. I would have liked to spend more time in the park and learn more about the ecology of the area, but it was a fairly brief visit. We finished the afternoon with a walking tour of the city of Elmina. Fishing is the main activity in Elmina, and there are hundreds of brightly colored small boats in the harbor.

Ghana has been much more joyful and welcoming than Morocco, despite the incredible poverty here. Many of the students on board ship participated in service projects at orphanages and schools during the visit.

This post is getting a little long, but there is so much to say. More later….

Back at Sea

2010-09-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

We are now about halfway between Morocco and Ghana, along the west coast of Africa. Today is very foggy and rainy.... When we are at sea, we are busy with classes and meetings, so there is not a lot to post about....I was able to follow the last part of the Florida-Tennessee game on CNN's play-by-play last night---Go Gators!

A VP for IBM spoke on ship yesterday about sustainability issues, and we have formed a Sustainability Club on the ship that is doing a "Low Yo Flow" campaign to get people to conserve water. Sustainability has turned out to be a major emphasis on this voyage... The students are really into it, and it is one of the three themes of the Global Studies course that all students on the ship are required to take. I have been reading Bill McKibben's new book "Eaarth"--very sobering.... In the evenings we have "Explore Seminars" on topics of interest. I am going to be on a panel on sustainability tonight....

Since we are at sea, I will take some photos of the ship in the next few days to give you a sense of what it's like to teach on board....

Food in Morocco

2010-09-19T03:14:00.000-07:00

Chicken tajine with lemon and spices

Mint tea

A few people have been asking about food in Morocco, so I thought I would post a few photos... The best parts of Morocco were the food and architecture... Tajines are stews cooked in conical ceramic pots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajine). Also loved the couscous and mint tea! Each city in Morocco has its own version of couscous....

Last Day in Casablanca

2010-09-19T03:08:00.000-07:00

Rick's Cafe

A shop in Casablanca

Interior of Hassan II mosque

Hassan II mosque

On the last day in Casablanca, I toured the Hassan II mosque, the third largest mosque in the world. We also did the tourist thing and had lunch at Rick's Cafe....a reproduction of the set for the movie (see below). Finally did a little shopping for souvenirs before leaving port in the evening...

Marrakech

2010-09-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Yves Saint Laurent memorial in the Majorelle Gardens

Bahia Palace

Central square in Marrakech (with snake charmers!)

Majorelle Gardens

Yesterday we took an all day trip to Marrakech, about 3 hours south of Casablanca, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. First stop was the Majorelle Gardens, built by French painter Jacques Majorelle in 1919 to house his collection of plants from 5 continents. Yves Saint Laurent established a trust for the gardens and his ashes are in a memorial there. We then entered the Marrakech medina and toured the Bahia Palace, the only royal palace in Morocco open to the public. The palace was built for the wives and concubines of the grand vizier to the sultan, and has been the location for many movies. We also had lunch near the central square and saw snake charmers and monkey trainers in the square.

Rabat

2010-09-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

In the Medina at Rabat

The Casbah (fortress)

Roman forum at Rabat

In the Roman forum in Rabat

The Mausoleum of Moroccan kings

Today I took a day trip to Rabat with a group from the ship. Archbishop Tutu and his wife were on the trip and it was good to see them relaxing and enjoying the sightseeing. We visited the royal quarter in Rabat, the Mausoleum of Moroccan kings Mohammed V and Hassan II, and also the Necropolis, which contains ruins of a Roman forum. Here are a few photos from the trip, including one for Amy or Susan to translate....

Rick's Cafe

2010-09-10T04:28:00.000-07:00

By the way, there IS a Rick's Cafe in Casablanca, but it is just a reproduction of the original set for the movie. None of the movie was shot on location in Casablanca. The restaurant was opened by a former State Department official who stayed in Morocco....

Casablanca!

2010-09-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful dinner and tour in Casablanca with Angela Arigoni-Mesfioui (RMWC Class of '01) and her husband and daughter, along with a couple from the ship last night. We ate at a restaurant within walking distance of the port that is within the walls of the old medina. Since it was the end of Ramadan, people were celebrating breaking the fast, and there was a huge buffet banquet under canopies outside the restaurant, with live Moroccan music. We sat on beanbag chairs around a low table. Delicious selection of bread, grains, fruit, hummus, and sausages. The mint tea with jasmine was incredible...extremely sweet and fragrant! After dinner, we took a walk through the old medina bazaar at night. It was crowded, colorful, noisy...all of the things you would imagine a bazaar to be. Angela also drove us around town, by the huge mosque, and along the beaches south of town. The area south of the mosque is much more modern, with clubs and restaurants. We got ice cream and listened to some Arabic music for awhile, and then returned to the ship by way of the city. Driving in Casablanca is REALLY crazy...lanes are only a suggestion, and there are pedestrians and motorbikes everywhere. Angela was a pro, though, and got us back to the ship safely.

Wind and Solar Farm Tour

2010-09-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is me "tilting at windmills" in Spain....We had a great tour today of wind and solar energy facilities about a half hour out of Cadiz. Spain is second only to Germany is solar energy and fourth in the world in wind energy. Our tour guide was a Spanish physicist who is one of Al Gore's "Ambassadors" who do the Inconvenient Truth presentation, and he also has written a book on climate change and sustainability in Europe. We now have left Cadiz and will arrive in Casablanca tomorrow morning....

Seville, the Alcazar, and Seville Cathedral

2010-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today we took a one day trip to Seville, and saw the Alcazar palace, parts of which were constructed in the 1100's by the Moors. Columbus left from Seville and Cadiz for his four voyages to America, and Magellan left from Seville for his voyage around the world. We also saw the Seville Cathedral, fourth largest in the world. We ate lunch at a open air cafe along the river. Here is a sampling of photos... along with a panorama from the top of the bell tower of the Seville Cathedral. Tomorrow we will visit a wind farm and solar energy facility... and then leave late tomorrow afternoon for Morocco.

Teatro Romano

2010-09-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

And these are for Susan and Amy.... Only a small portion of the Roman theater at Cadiz has been excavated, partly because a section of it lies underneath the cathedral. They are currently doing excavations, but I was able to get a few photos through the fence. According to our guide, the Roman theater at Cadiz is estimated to have had a capacity of 15,000 people......

More Cadiz...

2010-09-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

And now a few photos for my colleagues....

For Randy: This pic is of the huge choir books in the old cathedral at Cadiz. The books are so large because they only used one book for the entire choir.

2010-09-05T01:58:00.000-07:00

Went to a flamenco performance last night with a group from the ship. It was in a tavern owned by a Brit who has been living in Spain for 25 years and is an accomplished flamenco guitar player and dancer. He gave a talk about the history of flamenco and then a singer, guitar player and female dancer joined him for a short performance. I learned how to order a draft beer in Spanish ("Una cana doble"...one draft, double).

More Cadiz....

2010-09-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Cadiz is the oldest continually occupied city in Western Europe. It was founded by the Phoenicians about 800 BC. Later it was occupied by the Greeks and Romans because of its strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean. There are still a number of Roman ruins in the city, including large sections of the Roman wall, and a theater. On the orientation tour we stopped briefly at the archeological museum. This photo is of Phoenecian sarcophogi that are at least 2500 years old.

Cadiz, Spain

2010-09-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

....pronounced "CA-deeth"... We took an orientation tour of Cadiz this morning. It's a wonderful, compact port city with lots of narrow, winding streets, ancient forts, and colorful shops. A few pics....

2010-09-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

Sunset over the Atlantic

2010-09-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

The first few days out of Halifax were hectic as we got the classes up and running, so I didn't have much time to post, but things are settling in a little now. Classes are going well, and the students seem engaged and interested. We have been setting our clocks ahead an hour each night for the past several nights as we cross time zones. We will reach Cadiz, Spain in two more days! Archbishop Tutu has been around the ship at meals and in the hallway. Still looking for a time when I can present him with a "Be an Original" Randolph College t-shirt..*smile*. Here are a few photos of the sunset off the stern of the ship just after dinnertime.

Crossing the Atlantic

2010-09-01T04:36:00.000-07:00

A few photos of the ship leaving Halifax several days ago. We passed close by the Azores today. Have had several days of classes and will reach Spain in two more days.

Halifax

2010-08-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

It was foggy and rainy yesterday when we pulled into Halifax, but cleared up today. Notice the building behind me in the photo...It is the Halifax port building and has a green roof, solar panels and windmills! I took an early morning walk along the waterfront and hiked up to the Halifax citadel to get a panoramic photo (see at bottom of blog). All of the students boarded today, so it was really hectic. Their excitement is infectious! We left Halifax around 5:00 and are in the Atlantic again as I write this. The ship is moving faster than usual to get out of the way of the path of Hurricane Danielle. We are a long way from the hurricane, but they are being extra cautious. Classes start Sunday!

Day 2

2010-08-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Really rough weather this morning, but it got better in the afternoon. More orientation meetings today, but the logistics of the classes are coming together. We are getting closer to Halifax and probably will arrive there early in the morning. It will seem strange to be stationary again... Riding on the elevator on the ship is an interesting experience...tilting side to side as it is going up and down!.....

End of Day 1

2010-08-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Our wake as we have dinner at the end of the first day....

First Day

2010-08-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

The sea has been a little rough on the first day and lots of people have struggled with seasickness. I'm OK though...It's a little like riding a slow motion roller coaster. Orientation meetings most of the day, and getting to know some of the other faculty. I'm trying to imagine what the ship will be like when we add more than 600 students at Halifax....More orientation tomorrow, and arrival at Halifax on Thursday. First day of classes is Sunday.

2010-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

2010-08-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

2010-08-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Oops.... the other pics didn't post...Here they are...

Setting Sail!

2010-08-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday packed the car and drove to Norfolk for the voyage. Thanks to Tina, Richard, Corey and Martha for help with the packing! Here are some photos of the ship at Norfolk and my cabin. We cast off at 11:00 pm and sailed out of Norfolk past the bridge-tunnel into the Atlantic....

Getting Ready....

2010-08-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Less than three days now until we set sail! Lots of packing to do tomorrow, and then we will drive to Norfolk on Sunday. Looking forward to meeting other faculty and staff at the hotel Sunday night and then boarding on Monday. This pic is from a pirate farewell celebration with our friends and colleagues at the Cavalier Tavern in Lynchburg. Yoho, me hearties......Arrrrrhhhh!

Bon Voyage Celebration

2010-08-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

At my sister's lake house in north Georgia for a bon voyage celebration.. It's not quite the ocean, but it's wet!.... My wife Tina and I are on the "Big Mabel" raft. You can't really see it in the pic, but that is a Semester at Sea tshirt...

Sharp Top

2010-07-31T18:49:00.001-07:00

Today my son Corey and I took a "training hike" up Sharp Top mountain at the Peaks of Otter to get ready for the hiking on the voyage. Sharp Top is one of the highest peaks in Virginia.

2010-07-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

To find out more about the voyage, visit the Semester at Sea site at http://www.semesteratsea.org/current-voyage/overview/.

First Post

2010-07-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

This is my new Semester at Sea blog! I will be sharing thoughts and posting photos here during the Fall 2010 Semester at Sea voyage.