August 24, 2025

Day 4 off the Ship - doing land tour of Japan ( versus Ports)

Japan's immigration laws make it only possible to get off the ship once in one port and get back on in another port, without going to a foreign country in between. Therefore we had to combine our time off in Tokyo and Kyoto. The bullet train or Shinkansen is an amazing way to travel between the two towns going at a speed of 175 to 200 mph. It took just 2 hours and 15 minutes and was super smooth. We split a Chicken bento box for lunch and got to see most of Mt. Fuji out the window as we speed by mid trip.

WOW!!   THE HEAT WAVE HIT US AS SOON AS WE WALKED OUT OF KYOTO STATION. It was warm in Tokyo, 89 - 91 degrees but KYOTO is off the charts, in high 90's and humid!! OMG!!  We made it to our hotel and AC as quick as we could! Thank goodness it does cool off a bit once the sun goes down - so we ventured out for a walk and our first sights of Kyoto. Our hotel was only a few blocks away from the Kamo River and there was a bit of breeze down there, along with a ton of people. We wandered the narrow alleyways of the Poncho area and found a little sushi restaurant for dinner. After dinner we wandered some more, watching street performers and enjoying some ice cream on our walk back to the Hotel.

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SHIP SHENANIGANS - CLUE PARTY

By Pat Patrick • September 16, 2026
It's never a dull Sea Day on the Odyssey! We have such creative residents, that are always coming up with new ideas to entertain ourselves and have a good time. This plot was the calculating of Eddie and Michelle - a Game of Clue! The rules were simple - find the party venue at 8:30 pm, come dressed as a character, weapon or room from the game and solve the mystery of who stole the Ship's bell.

TERRACOTTA ARMY - XI'AN, CHINA

By Pat Patrick • September 16, 2026
In March of 1974, some local farmers outside Xi'An, China are digging a well and accidentally hit one of the great archaeological sites in the World! They were paid one day's wages for the find, roughly 4 USD! The Terracotta Army was dubbed the 8th Wonder of the World by France's President in 1980 when he came to visit and wanted to meet the farmers, the oldest was then, 89 years old.

XI'AN, CHINA - WALLED CITY

By Pat Patrick • September 15, 2026
Xi'An, China has been on my must do list , for awhile. The story of the Terracotta Army has fascinated me, since I first heard it. What I didn't know too much about, was the actual City of Xi'An and the walled inner City that remains today. It was built from 1370 to 1378 during the Ming dynasty on top of the older Tang dynasty foundations. There are 9 miles of City walls, they are 39' high, 45' to 50' wide at the top and 55' to 60' at the base. There are four main gate towers and the only draw bridge restored is at the South Gate. There are 98 ramparts, watchtowers, battlements and a wide surrounding moat. It one of the oldest and best preserved fortifications in China .