Our port of call today was Omaezaki, or was it? Most of us never heard of this city, so it would be a new stop for us. There were a few tours here priced from $130 to $150 and between 4 to 6 hours. Stops would include castles, shrines, temple, a museum, basic highlights, a fish market and souvenir shopping. However it was not to be. At 7:45am this morning, Captain Frank made the announcement that Omaezaki had to be cancelled. It had been decided it was far too impossible to dock safely due to high winds and rough seas. It came as no surprise because we had been warned this could happen. Actually, to be perfectly honest, most of the folks we know were worn out from two full days in Tokyo and appreciated the change to a day at sea.
So the Captain provided some scenic cruising going into the bays to give us a look at the coastline of Japan. There were dark ominous clouds overhead, and we did see rain falling over the mountainous terrain. The winds were measured at 35 mph, but later increased to almost 50mph. The sea swells were significant at 12 to 20 feet, making the ship roll and even shudder at times. The safest place it seemed was in our room. The mist from the waves came as high as our veranda, soaking everything out there. And it was cold with temps in the high 40's. The wind chill brought that number even lower.
While working on the computer, one of the veranda side panels broke loose, even though it had been locked. Just about then, our room attendant came with a basket of clean laundry. He went and got a key and locked it again, and to keep it from rattling, he moved the table against it. That's a first.
Around 11:30am, Kimberly announced that the clouds had lifted from Mt. Fuji and it was clear for all to see. Of course, it was only visible from the starboard side, so we went up to the Seaview Pool to take some pictures. Grabbing some hot chocolate packets, we made a cupful to warm up. Sitting at a table in the sun helped a little. One by one, the Lido waiters began popping outside to take pictures with their cell phones. It is not often that we see such an awesome sight as this sacred mountain. Japan's highest peak, it is so revered by the people that many make a pilgrimage every summer to the top. It is a centuries-old tradition to summit this symmetrical active volcano. We agree that Mt. Fuji is majestic and can see why it has been the subject of many famous painters and poets as well.
This needed the good camera to get the best shots, so we went down to get it. The camera expert went back to deck 10, and I followed later. On the way up the staircase from the Seaview Pool, a gust of wind hit so hard, it ripped my wool scarf from my neck and it went airborne. Holding onto my sunglasses, the scarf disappeared from sight. Sometimes these items will blow back on deck three, but it was heavy and could have blown overboard. Perhaps it will end up in the lost and found box at the front desk. Have to check later.
We spent most of the day inside, because the decks had been closed off. Even though the dark clouds got blown away, the mist from the high waves drenched the portside of the ship. Captain Frank came on the speakers with his noon talk, and said that after doing a loop in the bay near Omaezaki, he resumed sailing southwest towards Osaka Bay 195 nautical miles away. It is possible we will be an hour earlier arriving to Kobe tomorrow. He did say the weather in Kobe will be better as far as the sea condition, but the temperatures will remain chilly.
Kimberly finally gave a talk on Kobe, where we will be docked for two days. There was not enough time for her to squeeze in this lecture, since the ports were happening very close. So we took notes about not only Kobe, but Osaka, Kyoto and Nara….all close to the port of Kobe. In fact, the tours offered will take guests to the outlying areas. We have been to all of the sights in this triangle of cities, so we intend to stay in Kobe. Doing some internet searches of the downtown, we will be able to navigate that area.
Dinnertime came quickly, as there was no sunset at all. It just got dark, and the wind continued blowing strong. Anyway, we ordered one chicken noodle soup, a Thai salad, and one Caesar salad. Mains were a simple beef rib meat linguine and one osso buco. Both were good and really too much as the servings were generous. Dessert was one scoop of mango sorbet and one tiny chocolate mousse.
Entertainment tonight was provided by a group of four fellows from various parts of Spain. They performed classical, opera, and pop music as well as Latin, folk ballads, and theater. It appeared the dinner guests were leaving early to either get seats in the World Stage or go to bed early to be ready for two more busy port days.
Bill & Mary Ann
