Diamond Princess Japanese Bath Preview Video Tour

Images from Alaska, Far East & China Grand Adventure Voyage # M328A Aboard Diamond Princess

I'm trying to do a better job of recording my travels.  Below is an outline of my itinerary for the first part of my fall 2013 contract on the Diamond Princess as port lecturer. I plan to update with links to relevant online photo albums as time permits.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

• Embarkation Day in Whittier (port for Anchorage Alaska)
• Excited to have friends onboard but sad their stays will be so short!  Amazing vocalist (and person) Claude-Eric Brunelle onboard until Muroran, and longtime mentor, dear friend, and fellow lecturer onboard until Busan.
• ALASKA - Scenic Drive from Anchorage to Whittier (Sep 21, 2013)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

• At Sea
• No lecture.  Enjoyed my day of anonymity.
• Diamond Princess At Sea (Sep 22, 2013)

Monday, September 23, 2013

• At Sea
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Sep 23, 2013)

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

• At Sea
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Sep 24, 2013)

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

• Skipped over this day when we passed the international dateline.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

• At Sea
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Sep 26, 2013)

Friday, September 27, 2013

• At Sea
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Sep 27, 2013)

Saturday, September 28, 2013

• At Sea
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Sep 28, 2013)

Sunday, September 29, 2013

• Call on the port of Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
• Spent the day with local friend Naomi and Jim.
• Gave tour of ship to Masayo (new friend that lives in Muroran).
• JAPAN - Muroran (Sep 29, 2013)

Monday, September 30, 2013

• At Sea
• Celebrated my 44th birthday over dinner with Jim. 
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Sep 30, 2013)

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

• Call on the port of Vladivostok, Far Eastern Russia
• Spent morning and lunch with local friend Evgenia, her former student Svetlana, and Jim.
• RUSSIA - Vladivostok (Oct 01, 2013)

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

• At Sea
• Diamond Princess - At Sea (Oct 2, 2013)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

• Call on the port of Busan, South Korea

Friday, October 4, 2013

• At Sea

Saturday, October 5, 2013

• Call on the port of Qingdao, China
• Escorted ship tour to Mt. Lao area
• Met local friend Li Ying at port gates to just chat over snacks at the bus stop.
• Late departure due to a couple of inconsiderate passengers.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

• Call on the port of Dalian, China
• Late arrival due to late departure from Qingdao.
• Potential time ashore was shore, so I opted to just stay onboard.  I've been to Dalian quite a few times, so I've seen all the main sights.  However, I was looking forward to visiting my favorite Chinese foot massage place there.

Monday, October 7, 2013

• "Turnaround Day"
• Hosted local friends Carol and Annette for lunch and a tour of the ship.
• Glad I didn't bother trying to go out.  Tour buses got stuck in port traffic; it took them 2.5 hours to exit the port gates.  What a nightmare!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

• At Sea

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

• At Sea

Thursday, October 10, 2013

• Call on the port of Busan, South Korea

Friday, October 11, 2013

• Call on the port of Nagasaki, Japan
• Been here many times, so wasn't motivated to do much in the rain.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

• At Sea

Sunday, October 13, 2013

• Call on the port of Shanghai, China

Monday, October 14, 2013

• At Sea

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

• At Sea

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

• Call on the port of Hong Kong
• One of the first ships to call on the new Kai Tek Cruise Terminal on the site of the former airport in SE Kowloon.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

• At Sea

Friday, October 18, 2013

• At Sea

Saturday, October 19, 2013

• Call on the port of Phu My, Vietnam
• Escorted a ship tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels

Sunday, October 20, 2013

• At Sea

Monday, October 21, 2013

• Call on the port of Laem Chabang, Thailand

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

• At Sea

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

• At Sea

Thursday, October 24, 2013

• "Turnaround Day" at the port of Singapore

Abenomics and the Japanese Economy

Great backgrounder by the Council on Foreign Relations on "Abenomics" and the state of the Japanese economy.

In Thailand, Political Instability Threatens New Opportunities in Southeast Asia

Summary

The popular unrest that has brought Thai politics to a standstill is not particularly remarkable; political instability in the country has occurred cyclically over the past decade, and it shows no sign of abating anytime soon. What is remarkable about the current bout of turmoil is that it could prevent Thailand from benefiting from emerging economic developments in Southeast Asia.

Over the past century, Thailand's geopolitical advantages, namely its strategic location and ethnic and cultural influence, have conferred on the country a regional leadership role. But Southeast Asia is changing: Manufacturers are leaving China as it moves up the value chain, the region is slowly integrating economically, the United States is turning its attention away from the Middle East toward the Asia-Pacific region, and Beijing is trying to expand its influence in Southeast Asia. If instability persists, Thailand may not be able to lead or even benefit from these new regional realities.

Click here to continue reading Stratfor analysis on this topic

Thailand hopes the tourists keep coming

As ongoing protests in Thailand discourage some travelers from visiting, here's a look at the current state of the country's crucial tourism industry.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/factbox-thailand-hopes-tourists-keep-071954553.html