2023 Alaska, Asia, Australia, Arabian Peninsula Trip
Day 27/105 - Shimizu, Japan - Mt. Fuji appears
It is Friday the 13th, so we didn't know what to expect from today. It turns out, that Friday the 13th brought good luck, great weather, and a visible Mt. Fuji today!
We awoke to find Mt. Fuji clearly visible, even though it was a little hazy. She remained visible, at least at her summit, during our stay here today in Shimizu.
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| Mt. Fuji is known for her nearly perfect conical shape |
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| At 3,776 meters ((12,390 ft), Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and Suruga Bay is the deepest bay in Japan |
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| Me, finally being able to grab a photo of Mt. Fuji |
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| Happier faces today! |
Our tour, Stunning Vistas of Shimizu, was delayed about ten minutes as one couple couldn't seem to get to the bus on time. In addition, they forgot their QuietVox headset devices so the guide had to get a Viking rep to get them another set. We always make sure to pay attention to start times and tour requirements because we respect the time of all the other guests and don't want to do anything that would negatively impact anyone else's experience. Not everyone does that. After a slightly late start, we headed off to our first stop, Nihondaira Yume Terrace, an observation deck that offered sweeping views of Mt. Fuji, Suruga Bay, and the entire Shimizu-Shizuoka area.
Since we got no Mt. Fuji photos yesterday, today is a little Fuji-heavy.
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| The area is surrounded by hills, but none as tall as Fuji |
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| Me, once again doing my thing |
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| Contemplating the grandeur of it all |
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| Suruga Bay |
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| It's no Tokyo, but this area is still densely populated |
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| The Viking Orion is in the lower right |
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| I discovered that the men's sit-down facilities are as high-tech as the women's facilities |
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| Japan has a lot of big spiders |
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| Our tour bus - oh, there's a mountain in the background, in case you missed it... |
A black kite - a medium-sized bird of prey, was circling overhead as we were departing the observation area.
As we rode between stops, our guide provided interesting facts about the area. This area is a leading producer of green tea in Japan, producing 40% of Japan's output. She explained the differences in teas. Green, black, and oolong tea all come from the same plant but they are processed differently. Green tea is made by quickly cool-steaming the unoxidized leaves. If the leaves are semi-oxidized, they produce oolong. Fully oxidized leaves produce black tea. Tea was used as medicine in China at least as early as 2700 BC and was brought to Japan in the ninth century.
Beyond tea, they are also #2 or #3 in Mandarine orange production, #1 in wasabi production, and #1 in frozen tuna production, plus they produce other seafood options and timber.
We also learned that Japan has somewhere around 88,000 shrines throughout the country - they are part of the Japanese citizen's daily life. Interestingly enough, they also have about 88,000 convenience stores like Lawson, Family Mart, and 7-11 - also part of daily life.
Our other stop today was at the Hagoromo Pine Tree Walk.
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| The area is filled with black pines |
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| This is known as the sacred pine |
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| Arlona and the sacred needles |
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| The shrine at the tree |
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| A happy rock |
The forest is connected to Miho Beach, a black sand/rock beach on Suruga Bay.
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| Mt. Fuji, still visible |
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| Arlona - drawn to the water |
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| Today, Arlona didn't touch the water... |
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| The water came up and touched her... |
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| ...a lot more than she was expecting! |
As we walked to where we were to board the bus, we passed a sign that explained more about the name of the area and the legend behind it.
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| This boardwalk is known as the Devine Road - it leads from the Pine Walk to a shrine |
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| The stop signs here are inverted triangles |
Upon returning to the ship, we could hear loud music playing. Many of the crew were out with red Viking umbrellas, welcoming guests back with music and dance. We danced through to the Village People's YMCA, certainly appropriate for us Villagers.
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| Not sure who this guy was |
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| Cruise Director, Graham (blue shirt), and General Manager, Peter (white shirt), greet returning guests |
We headed to the World Café for lunch where the impact of this now being a full ship was immediately apparent. There simply were no available seats on either side or out on the Aquavit deck. It was a zoo. We grabbed some food and found a table by the pool deck. We have noticed a degradation in service at both breakfast and lunch. Perhaps it is because we had a large crew change in Tokyo. Perhaps it is because there are 200+ more passengers on this ship than on any other Viking cruise that we’ve been on. We asked three different servers for orange juice at breakfast and never got anything. Yes, I know that isn’t a huge thing, but it is a complete 180-degree change from the absolutely superior service we’ve always had on Viking. We’re hoping that they hit their groove because it is noticeable.
As we sailed away at 1 p.m., Mt. Fuji was still there peeking above the clouds, bidding us fair skies and favorable winds.
Tonight, we decided, was Mexican Martini night in the Explorers' Bar.
Mix tequila (we prefer a reposado), your choice of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Triple Sec, etc, lime juice, orange juice, and traditionally, olive juice. We leave the olive juice out. Toss in ice, shake, and strain or serve on the rocks. Olé.
The sunset wasn't much to look at, but the afterglow was well worth the price of admission.
Viking is aware of our concerns about the significant change in cruise dynamics starting in Tokyo. Other passengers that we have spoken to have noticed the same things and have been talking about it. There are many brand new crew members aboard and making that change in the middle of a multi-segment repositioning cruise, especially on the first leg with a full passenger compliment probably wasn't the best plan. We are hopeful that Viking will respond and take corrective action to bring the service level up to what we have seen as Viking's standards.
Tomorrow morning, we will dock in Osaka, Japan.
I relate to your concern when Viking has less than stellar service. When you are accustomed to level 10, even a small downward blip is extremely noticeable. I have traveled with them on full ships so the crowds take some adjusting to seating and meal planning. Continue to enjoy your adventure!
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