Wednesday: Today was some how eventful and uneventful at the same time. The day started nice and early again. Got breakfast and headed out to Pearl Harbor. Honolulu is a big city and has a great, but confusing, bus system. A bunch of my friends and I headed to Pearl Harbor. When we got there we realized that the tour was not for about two and a half hours. We heard about a big flea market down the road so we went to that. It was huge. It wrapped almost all the way around the Aloha baseball stadium. It had everything from clothes to gadget to snacks to teeth whitening and health remedies. It was pretty good. Of course there was also fresh fruit and nuts there also. After killing time there we headed back to Pearl Harbor to take the tour. The whole place is really cool and obviously full of history. I was glad I got to see it. After Pearl Harbor. Sarah, Tolan, Thomas, and I headed to the North Shore. The North Shore is suppose to have the best beaches and the biggest waves but is across the island. We once again had to get on the bus. The bus ride took quite a while. We ended up getting off at a transition stop and ate some food. Our choices we Pho King (which is pronounced Fa-king), JP Spaghetti, Pizza Hut, and about four weird asian places in a row. We weren’t ready to be boring and go to Pizza hut so we chose a shady Korean eating place (cant really call it a restaurant). It was pretty good after all. Afterward we got back on the bus and head over the the North Shore. It was getting a little chilly but the beaches were beautiful. The waves were crashing on the rocks, the water was all different shades of BLUE not brown like NJ, and the sand was perfect. I took tons of pictures of the different parts of the beach we explored. Sarah and I found a fresh coconut that had fallen off a tree and after about forty minutes of peeling and cracking we finally got it opened and ate it! It was about seven o clock at this point and we had already watched the sun set so we decided it was time to head back into Honolulu. The bus took about an hour to get to us so we hung around playing some games and listening to the Ukelele. We finally got back to Honolulu around 10, got changed, and grabbed some food at a bar and grille in town. It was a very cool day because we spend minimal money and saw some really great sights. I will be posting pictures on facebook soon!
Friday: Yesterday was my last day in Honolulu and it was interesting. I had a semester at sea trip in the morning which means they planned everything and i payed ahead of time. It was a suppose to be a snorkel cruise but it was nothing like that. It was a very cheaply planned adventure. About 70 SAS kids and a group of like 30 japanese people took a boat to the middle of a bay and did all sorts of activities which had potential but ended up really sucking but it is funny to laugh at now. It wasn’t a waste of time because i didnt have anything going on so i didnt mind it. We went snorkeling (once other people got out since there werent enough masks) and saw about 3 different kinds of fish which is obviously not very many. Then, we tried the banana boat ride which is suppose to be fast and awesome but it was rather ssssllooooowwww. When we got out for lunch we expected some hawaiian food or even just some hotdogs and hamburgers and we got like rice with chicken curry and vegetable stew which is not exactly what anyone was craving. there was also a salad with sesame dressing and some pineapple. all that you had to eat with a spoon? and the weather was overcast so we were freezing haha. But, I made some new friends so it was still cool. After that i went to an internet cafe that had free wifi and uploaded some pictures - on facebook. Then, i went on an adventure to find a place to get a japanese rail pass. the pass gives me access to all of the trains and transportation around Japan and is only offered in the United States so i had to get it before i left hawaii. That took up the rest of my day because we had to get back to the boat by 6 and we left hawaii at 8. Not the most exciting day but i'm not complaining. Today i got up feeling a little drowsy and sick so i went to class and then took some meds and took a long enjoyable nap. & now i had to go do some reading and head to my global studies class at 2. 10 days until Japan - hope it goes by fast!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
HAWAII!
ALOHA!! Lets just say that Hawaii is AMAZING.
Monday: got to Hilo and went right to Walmart. There was actually a shuttle to take us all there which was convenient because everyone on the ship was dying for some SNACKS! Dood is tough on the ship because if you eat lunch at like 12 then you have to wait about 5 hours until dinner. There is a snack bar but obviously you have to pay for it so everyone tries to avoid it. Anyways, Hilo was great we walked around downtown. There was a farmers market with lots of cool homemade jewelery and then like fruit and veggies. After that I met up with Will (my friend from home that transferred to Hawaii in the fall)!! It was so nice seeing and catching up with him and i know he enjoyed seeing a face from home. We walked all around town just checking the place out. it was beautiful! We ate some really great Thai food and then got some amazing smoothies from a local place where his friends worked. I then saw his apartment and campus which was so sweet. Way cooler than Mason (no surprise there of course). We hung out for a while then i went back to the ship to lay low.
Tuesday: Day two in Hilo was very exhilarating. I woke up pretty early and made some phone calls since this is the only port i will have my phone :(. Then, after eating breakfast on the ship, i went out with some friends and went to Rainbow Falls. IT WAS AWESOME. When we got there we climbed these huge trees and swung from vines and stuff. It was super cool there. We then continued to hike and came across the water. There were cliffs and rocks and waterfalls there, it was so beautiful. You weren't suppose to get in the water but it was way too nice not too. We found a nice spot to jump from and all took turns plunging into the water. The water was so fresh and blue. There were no animals other then some very small fish (THANK GOD because i HATE animals touching me in the water). We then swam across the water to another part of the rocks and climbed up this waterfall and around some other places. It was tough on our feet because we didn't have shoes on and were climbing on what looked like volcano type rocks. Some parts were way scary because the rocks were so slippery but we all got our workout for the day. There are amazing pictures to come. The best part of the day was lunch. My two friends, Tolan and Sarah (from San Diego), and I went to the farmers market and bought tomatoes, avocado, papaya, mini bananas, some weird Hawaii fruit that looked like a red spikey circles, and tangerines. Then, we went over to a park and just almost ate all of it. Now that i think about it we ate ALOT. We got four papaya for two dollars and seven tangerines for one dollar. But, it was such a refreshing lunch! Afterward we headed over to the black sand beaches. I would say we just laid around but we really didn't. We went right into the water which was so clear. You could see the coral underneath you and fish swimming around you. I was kinda freaked out but it was worth it. When we got out we saw whales about a hundred feet out jumping out of the water and later saw two turtles chilling. It was really sweet. That was pretty much the end of our adventurous day. We hitched a ride back to the boat and now we are just chilling until tomorrow when we get to Honolulu!!
Monday: got to Hilo and went right to Walmart. There was actually a shuttle to take us all there which was convenient because everyone on the ship was dying for some SNACKS! Dood is tough on the ship because if you eat lunch at like 12 then you have to wait about 5 hours until dinner. There is a snack bar but obviously you have to pay for it so everyone tries to avoid it. Anyways, Hilo was great we walked around downtown. There was a farmers market with lots of cool homemade jewelery and then like fruit and veggies. After that I met up with Will (my friend from home that transferred to Hawaii in the fall)!! It was so nice seeing and catching up with him and i know he enjoyed seeing a face from home. We walked all around town just checking the place out. it was beautiful! We ate some really great Thai food and then got some amazing smoothies from a local place where his friends worked. I then saw his apartment and campus which was so sweet. Way cooler than Mason (no surprise there of course). We hung out for a while then i went back to the ship to lay low.
Tuesday: Day two in Hilo was very exhilarating. I woke up pretty early and made some phone calls since this is the only port i will have my phone :(. Then, after eating breakfast on the ship, i went out with some friends and went to Rainbow Falls. IT WAS AWESOME. When we got there we climbed these huge trees and swung from vines and stuff. It was super cool there. We then continued to hike and came across the water. There were cliffs and rocks and waterfalls there, it was so beautiful. You weren't suppose to get in the water but it was way too nice not too. We found a nice spot to jump from and all took turns plunging into the water. The water was so fresh and blue. There were no animals other then some very small fish (THANK GOD because i HATE animals touching me in the water). We then swam across the water to another part of the rocks and climbed up this waterfall and around some other places. It was tough on our feet because we didn't have shoes on and were climbing on what looked like volcano type rocks. Some parts were way scary because the rocks were so slippery but we all got our workout for the day. There are amazing pictures to come. The best part of the day was lunch. My two friends, Tolan and Sarah (from San Diego), and I went to the farmers market and bought tomatoes, avocado, papaya, mini bananas, some weird Hawaii fruit that looked like a red spikey circles, and tangerines. Then, we went over to a park and just almost ate all of it. Now that i think about it we ate ALOT. We got four papaya for two dollars and seven tangerines for one dollar. But, it was such a refreshing lunch! Afterward we headed over to the black sand beaches. I would say we just laid around but we really didn't. We went right into the water which was so clear. You could see the coral underneath you and fish swimming around you. I was kinda freaked out but it was worth it. When we got out we saw whales about a hundred feet out jumping out of the water and later saw two turtles chilling. It was really sweet. That was pretty much the end of our adventurous day. We hitched a ride back to the boat and now we are just chilling until tomorrow when we get to Honolulu!!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Days 4-6
hello hello!
Things on the MV Explorer are going great. We have now been on sea about six days now. we are four hours behind PA time so of course i am going to bed at like 9 every night. The boat is rocking back and fourth and i dont mean like just a little bit i mean ALOT. Last night was the roughest night i think. When i woke up all the stuff on the bathroom counter was on the floor and the dresser drawers were opening and closing (LOUDLY). Its funny because most of us are acting like it aint no thang when we have to hang on to a hand rail in order to walk without falling. On the outside decks chairs are flying back and fourth as the boat rocks and in class people are falling off their chairs. Luckily my sea sickness is going away or else id be miserable right now. Ive heard that there is like a record breaking storm off the coast of California and thats why the waves are so big out here. we avoided the actual storm so we haven't gotten rained on or anything but we are still feeling the windy effects. My classes are going well. its funny because all of my teachers have said the same two things: 1. "if i happen to fall over in the middle of class dont worry about me i will get right back up and we'll act like nothing happened" (referring to the roughness of the sea) and 2. "I am leaving the blinds open so you guys can look at the water. if you see any cool animals just yell and i will stop class so we all can take a look". Being on this boat is obviously way different then a regular college campus. Today i ate dinner with a kid from Alaska and a kid from norway...weird, right? People on this ship are from all over. There are a weird amount of people here from Minnesota. I guess if i lived in Minnesota id be trying to get away from home too! But i think the schools represented the most are University of San Diego, Colorado University, and Chapman college (whatever that is). I have met people from like lousiana, Arizona, Maine, and Hawaii too though. Yesterday I sat next to someone in class from quakertown which was not actually that cool but kinda coincidental. Well i will be in Hawaii on Monday and cant be more excited. So far i have a snorkeling trip planned and i am also signed up to SKY DIVE!!
Well I have a meeting for some health&wellness club that i signed up for so that's all for now but i will write ago when something exciting happens!
Oh and don't forget that i have unlimited email and love hearing from people! (just make sure your emails arnt too sappy or anything because i don t wanna get homesick!) - jgpolitz@semesteratsea.net
Things on the MV Explorer are going great. We have now been on sea about six days now. we are four hours behind PA time so of course i am going to bed at like 9 every night. The boat is rocking back and fourth and i dont mean like just a little bit i mean ALOT. Last night was the roughest night i think. When i woke up all the stuff on the bathroom counter was on the floor and the dresser drawers were opening and closing (LOUDLY). Its funny because most of us are acting like it aint no thang when we have to hang on to a hand rail in order to walk without falling. On the outside decks chairs are flying back and fourth as the boat rocks and in class people are falling off their chairs. Luckily my sea sickness is going away or else id be miserable right now. Ive heard that there is like a record breaking storm off the coast of California and thats why the waves are so big out here. we avoided the actual storm so we haven't gotten rained on or anything but we are still feeling the windy effects. My classes are going well. its funny because all of my teachers have said the same two things: 1. "if i happen to fall over in the middle of class dont worry about me i will get right back up and we'll act like nothing happened" (referring to the roughness of the sea) and 2. "I am leaving the blinds open so you guys can look at the water. if you see any cool animals just yell and i will stop class so we all can take a look". Being on this boat is obviously way different then a regular college campus. Today i ate dinner with a kid from Alaska and a kid from norway...weird, right? People on this ship are from all over. There are a weird amount of people here from Minnesota. I guess if i lived in Minnesota id be trying to get away from home too! But i think the schools represented the most are University of San Diego, Colorado University, and Chapman college (whatever that is). I have met people from like lousiana, Arizona, Maine, and Hawaii too though. Yesterday I sat next to someone in class from quakertown which was not actually that cool but kinda coincidental. Well i will be in Hawaii on Monday and cant be more excited. So far i have a snorkeling trip planned and i am also signed up to SKY DIVE!!
Well I have a meeting for some health&wellness club that i signed up for so that's all for now but i will write ago when something exciting happens!
Oh and don't forget that i have unlimited email and love hearing from people! (just make sure your emails arnt too sappy or anything because i don t wanna get homesick!) - jgpolitz@semesteratsea.net
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Days 1-3
So the journey has begun. On sunday I took a bus to Ensenada Mexico which is where the ship was. We got stopped for a long time at the border and had a police dog come on the bus to sniff for drugs. the dog decided to shit on the bus which was just wonderful. Anyways, the boat is pretty nice. We were parked next to a carnival cruise and our ship was about half the size of that. The water is pretty rough so the boat is real rocky. I am taking dramamine, using the motion sickness patch, and wearing the bracelets and of course am still feeling sick. Oh well I am sure things will get better. My roommates name is Briana and she is from California. I met a couple girls on the bus from cali to mexico and they are cool so i think we’re all gonna hang out in hawaii together and try to get in on the same trip in china. It was nice that they divided the bus to mexico by area you live in because the two girls i met live right outside philly in villanova and malvern. The food is alright but i am sure it will get old. Each meal usually consists of a small salad bar, a meat and or fish, potatoes , rolls, fruit, soup, and a small dessert. There are other places to get different food like burgers, hotdogs, wraps, popcorn, and candy. I figured that food would be way over priced but its pretty cheap like 1.50 for a grilled cheese and like 2.50 for a burger. Im trying to only eat during the allotted meal times because those meals are free. The weather is great. I am currently on the top deck with a t-shirt and jeans on with the sun shining down on my creating billions of freckles. It is really windy but the breeze definitely helps will the sea sickness.
Ok well that is all i have to say for now but please email me at jgpolitz@semesteratsea.net because i can check that anytime for free!
Ok well that is all i have to say for now but please email me at jgpolitz@semesteratsea.net because i can check that anytime for free!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
how to send me mail !!
Here is a link to the Semester at Sea website. This link will tell you where to send me mail to and when to send it by in order for me to receive it.
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring-2010/spring-2010-staying-in-touch.php
(you may not be able to click it so just copy and paste it into your url bar)
I would love to hear from everyone either by comments on here, by mail, or by email. I get free email the entire trip. Right now my email is jpolitz@gmu.edu but i will also be getting an official semester at sea email address also.
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring-2010/spring-2010-staying-in-touch.php
(you may not be able to click it so just copy and paste it into your url bar)
I would love to hear from everyone either by comments on here, by mail, or by email. I get free email the entire trip. Right now my email is jpolitz@gmu.edu but i will also be getting an official semester at sea email address also.
Preface
I will be going to the following places beginning on January 17th & ending May 5th
San Diego, CA USA
Hilo / Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Yokohama / Kobe, Japan
Shanghai / Hong Kong, China
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Chennai / Cochin, India
Port Louis, Mauritius
Cape Town, South Africa
Tema (Accra), Ghan
Salvador, Brazil
Fort Lauderdale, FL
& throughout this journey I will be blogging on this site to keep everyone up to date!
San Diego, CA USA
Hilo / Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Yokohama / Kobe, Japan
Shanghai / Hong Kong, China
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Chennai / Cochin, India
Port Louis, Mauritius
Cape Town, South Africa
Tema (Accra), Ghan
Salvador, Brazil
Fort Lauderdale, FL
& throughout this journey I will be blogging on this site to keep everyone up to date!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
