Silver Sea – Part 4

I made a publishing error with Part 3, so I am repeating a part of it. This is the final post about our trip. Next week, I will resume posts about AI, healthcare, and technology.

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On Saturday, September 27, we arrived at Hakodate (pronounced as “Hah-koh-dah-teh”) from Kushiro. The latest pictures are here. More to come. Once again, I confess I am a poor photographer. If a picture looks great, it is the result of a combination of luck and the amazing camera in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Many of the photos could benefit from a caption, but Apple does not support that in shared albums. A small number of the pictures have comments found by clicking the icon at bottom left of the picture.

Hakodate is a charming city located on the southern tip of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Renowned for its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and delicious seafood, Hakodate offers a delightful blend of urban sophistication and natural wonder. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views from Mount Hakodate, explore the historic Motomachi district, or indulge in fresh seafood at the bustling morning market.

I thought the fish market at Kushiro was large. It turns out it is nothing compared to Hakodate. While my wife was working on an art project, I took a walk and found block after block of shops near the harbor. Many items on sale were alive. Giant crabs and even a basketball-sized octopus. Many other items were things I have never seen before. 

On Sunday morning we arrived at Miyako, Iwate. Miyako is a coastal city located in Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan. Known for its beautiful beaches and natural landscapes, Miyako is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The city is also home to the Sanriku Coast National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its dramatic cliffs and stunning scenery. We have been fortunate with no colds or flu, but we were noticing more coughing and sneezing on the ship of 700 passengers and 550 crew. For an abundance of caution we opted out of shore excursions on crowded tour buses. 

When we arrived in Tokyo, we were greeted by my friend Shigeru Inatomi. I had not seen him for 25+ years when we were both at IBM. He was a great help in getting us from Tokyo cruise terminal onto the Kyoto train. The Shinkansen (bullet) train is really fast. It runs about every six minutes taking large numbers of people to Kyoto. The ride is two hours. By car would be close to seven hours.

Kyoto is a very special city. It was formerly the capital of Japan. The culture there is deep and impressive. We saw a few of the 1,600 shrines and pagodas. Everything was crowded. Kyoto is a very popular place.

Pictures are here. The earlier posts are below.

Silversea 2024 – Part 1

Silversea 2024 – Part 2

Silversea 2024 – Part 3