Yokohama 横浜

Oct. 18, 2023: Shortly after we set sail from Seward, Alaska, on October 8th, the captain announced that the unruly waves made it impossible to head towards the Bering Sea. Opting for an alternate route, we turned southwards. Yet, the Pacific Ocean presented its own challenges, stirring with four impending storms, including a formidable super typhoon. Despite the captain's skillful efforts to steer us clear of the tempests, luck did not favor our voyage. The subsequent ten days were filled with continuous upheaval on the open sea. Nonetheless, we endeavored to make the most of our circumstances, engaging in the ship's various entertainments, delighting in an array of exceptional dishes, and committing to a daily goal of 10,000 steps around the deck.

Although our ship successfully avoided one storm after another, we couldn't head west towards Japan until we finally bypassed the super typhoon. By then, we had veered too far south to reach our first two ports in Japan - Hakodate and Sendai, leaving us no option but to head straight for Tokyo and spend the night there. We arrived at a newly inaugurated Tokyo International Cruise Terminal in the morning today. A dockside ceremony greeted us, complete with live musical performances, marking a celebratory end to our tumultuous journey at sea.

Having previously visited Tokyo, we opted to explore Yokohama this time. Renowned for having Japan's largest Chinatown, it was also the most beautiful one we had ever seen. We indulged in various delicious Chinese dishes there, with the Shanghainese-style pan-fried buns catching our attention the most. A popular shop boasted a long queue, we didn’t want to wait and randomly selected a smaller shop to sample their offerings. Traditional pork and seafood-filled buns, both of which were delicious and comparable to those from Xiao Yang's Fry Dumpling in Shanghai.

Subsequently, we boarded a bus to visit the traditional Japanese garden, Sankeien. Its beauty was breathtaking, and strolling through its serene paths was a delightful experience. After our garden excursion, we planned to enjoy a bowl of Japanese ramen in the city center. However, upon arrival, we found ourselves amidst towering skyscrapers, and an elderly volunteer informed us that the city center lacked notable ramen establishments. Consequently, we hailed a taxi to the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, albeit requiring some explanation to the driver about our destination.

The Ramen Museum comprises several ramen shops, with the first floor dedicated to exhibits detailing the history of ramen. Descending to the basement, we found ourselves in a meticulously recreated old-style street, housing various shops specializing in different styles of ramen. Admission to the museum was $2.5, with an additional $5 offering a taste of delectable ramen. We tried different styles of ramen from two shops, both of which left a lasting impression with their delicious flavors.

Following our satisfying ramen, we utilized the light rail to return to Tokyo, spending time circling around the area near the Tokyo cruise terminal. By day's end, we had accumulated over 20,000 steps on foot in addition to utilizing public transportation and taxis.

十月十八日: 自十月八日离开阿拉斯加的苏厄德后不久船长就宣布白令海去不了，那里风浪太大，决定南下。可太平洋也不太平，有四个风暴包括一个超级台风等着我们，船长觉得有可能从风暴中穿梭航行。可人算不如天算，我们的船躲过一个接一个风暴却始终无法西行往日本去，直到最终绕过超级台风之后才能西行，但此时船往南已经走得太远，这个行程的第一和第二站函馆和仙台去不成了，只能直奔东京，在东京过夜。

几年前来过东京，这次到东京后，我们就去横浜转转。横浜有日本最大的中华街，也是我们去过的最漂亮的中华街，街上有各色各味的中国美餐，最为吸引的是上海生煎，有个网红店外面排着长队，我们就随便选了一家小店试一下，有原味的，还有绿色是海鲜的，味道很不错，不比上海小杨生煎差。

接着坐公交车去日本传统园林三溪园，很漂亮，在园区内漫步很舒坦。原本想去市中心吃碗日本拉面，到那里后发现那里都是高楼大厦，又碰上志愿者告诉我们那里没什么好的拉面店。我们就叫了出租车去新横浜拉面博物馆，上车后咕噜半天才说明了我们想去哪里。

拉面博物馆实际上有几个拉面店组成，一层有关于拉面历史的记载。地下层建成旧时的小街，好几家拉面馆卖不同特色的拉面。进博物馆要付$2.5 门票，但$5就可以吃上一小碗香喷喷的拉面。我们尝试了二家拉面，味道都相当不错。

饭后就乘坐轻轨回东京，在东京游船码头转了一大圈。一天下来，除了坐轻轨，公交车和出租车外又走了二万多步。

Seward 苏厄德

Oct. 8, 2023: Yesterday was a sea day. In the morning, the ship first cruised around Hubbard Glacier, but the weather wasn't good; it was foggy and not very picturesque. The weather worsened in the afternoon with strong winds and high waves, and even the deck was closed. We spent the time in the gym and attended a concert.

Early this morning, we woke to find the ship docked at Seward, Alaska. We had been here before during the summer tourist season when it was bustling with people and various tourist activities. However, today, it was deserted, with nothing around. After breakfast, we quickly disembarked and walked along the seaside to the town center, but we couldn't find a single coffee shop. The tourist season ended in early October, and most businesses and restaurants were closed. The pedestrians on the streets were all from our ship. It was a bit disappointing, and by the time we returned to the ship, it was already lunchtime. While eating, we casually chatted with a few fellow passengers. It is our ship’s last stop in the United States, and next, we'll be heading towards the Bering Sea with some weather concerns.

十月八号：昨天一整天在海上，早上船先来到Hubbard 冰川转一圈。因为天气不好，雾蒙蒙的不怎么好看。下午天气越来越差，风大，浪大，都不让去甲板了。那就用健身房，演唱会来消磨时间。

今天一早醒来发现船已停靠在阿拉斯加的苏厄德（Seward)。这地方以前我们也来过，当时是夏天，旅游的旺季。人多，有各种各样旅游项目。但今天这里是冷冷清清，什么都没有。早餐后我们赶紧下船，沿着海边往镇中心走了一圈，都没找到一家咖啡馆。十月初旅游季节已过，大部分商家餐厅都关门了。路上行人都是我们船上的游客。有点失望，回到船上已经是午餐的时间。边吃边和几位游客聊天。这是美国最后一站，接下来要为过白令海担忧。

Icy Strait Point

Oct. 6, 2023: Today, the cruise ship docked at Icy Strait Point. This pier was constructed to promote the local tourism. Nearby is a small town called Hoonah, with around eight to nine hundred permanent residents. The entire area, except for the national forest, belongs to the Alaska Native (referred to as Native Americans in other states) Cooperation. The facilities are excellent; after disembarking, you can take a free cable car to the pier center, where there are restaurants, gift shops, and more. However, we did not stay there; instead, we walked along the seaside trail to Hoonah, about two kilometers away.

Initially, we were hesitant about walking there because this area has the highest density of brown bears in the world. We could take a shuttle bus to the town if we chose not to walk. Later, we met a couple walking to the town, so we joined them, which gave us some courage. The scenery along the way was beautiful, and it naturally compelled us to slow down and enjoy the calm and serene seascape.

The town of Hoonah doesn't have any particularly notable tourist attractions. After walking around, we still couldn't forget the desire to see brown bears and appreciate the natural grandeur of the forest here. Outside the town government office, we hired a local indigenous guide who drove us to Tongass National Forest to look for brown bears. He even carried a hunting rifle and led us on foot down to a small stream. Along the way, there were traces of brown bears everywhere, and we even saw the snow-white remnants of roots the bears had just eaten. He thought the bear should not be far away, asking if we wanted to continue. However, we decided to turn back, not knowing how we would react if we encountered a large brown bear. When we returned to the car, the guide told us that few tourists dared to go to that stream to look for brown bears.

Along the way, the guide also got out of the car to mimic the call of a deer, and one time, a female deer ran towards us from the woods. The guide said it was a hunting technique used by the locals. Throughout the journey, he shared a lot about their lives and culture, and we gained a lot of insights and learned many things. After four hours, we saw many traces left by brown bears but did not see any bears.

Upon returning to the pier and returning to the cruise ship, we unexpectedly saw a brown bear in the woods near the bridge, confirming that there were quite a few brown bears in this area.

十月六日

游船今天停靠Icy Strait Point，这码头是为促进当地旅游经济而兴建的。附近有个小镇叫Hoonah，有八，九百居民。整个地区除了国家森林外都归属于阿拉斯加原居民(其他州叫印地安人)集团。兴建的设施不错，下船后就可乘坐免费缆车到码头中心，那里有饭店，礼品商点等。但我们并没有在那里停留，而是沿着海边的步行道漫步走去二公里外的小镇Hoonah。起初还为该不该走去纠结，因为这地区是世界上棕熊密度最高的地方，不走的话可以坐专车去小镇。后来碰到一对夫妇也徒步去小镇，我们就与他们结伴，也算是给我们壮个胆。沿途风景优美，让人不由自主地放慢脚步，欣赏平静安逸的海景。

小镇Hoonah上没有什么特别的旅游景点，转了一圈后，还是念念不忘想去看棕熊，欣赏这里自然大森林。

在镇政府门外找了位当地原住民导游，他开车带我们俩去Tongass 国家森林找棕熊去。他还带着猎枪带我们下车徒步一段下到一小溪，一路上到处都是棕熊留下的痕迹，看到熊刚吃完的菜根，菜根颜色还是雪白的，他说熊应该就在不远，问我们是否还想继续往前，我们觉得还是见好就收，回头吧。如果我们真的碰上大棕熊，不知我们俩会有什么样的反应。回到车上导游告诉我们，少之又少的游客敢下到那个小溪去找棕熊的。

沿途导游还下车学鹿叫，有一次一只母鹿还真的从树林里朝我们奔来。导游说这是他们当地人打猎的技巧。一路上他与我们聊了许多他们的生活和文化，我们受益匪浅，学了不少东西。前前后后开了四个小时，看到了许多棕熊留下的痕迹，但就是没看到熊。

回到码头走回游轮时，却在桥边的树林里看到一个棕熊，也证明了这里的棕熊还真不少。

Ketchikan 凯奇坎

Oct. 5, 2023: Yesterday, we were at sea the entire day under cloudy and foggy weather, unable to see anything. We had breakfast and lunch at the Garden Cafe and had dinner at the main dining room, The Palace. This cruise is our fourth time sailing with NCL in the last twelve months, and it seems like their menu is pretty similar across all their ships. The remaining time was spent reading, visiting the gym, and walking around the ship on the deck; by the end of the day, we had walked over ten thousand steps. In the evening, we went to see a magic show.

Early this morning, the ship arrived at the first stop of this journey, Ketchikan. The ship docked at a small pier, a dedicated pier for NCL and another cruise company near Ketchikan. This time, we opted for an independent excursion rather than joining a tour. After breakfast, we disembarked and took a free shuttle to the city center to catch a lumberjack show. It was our first time watching such a show, and we joined in the cheering and laughter, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. After that, we explored the town. We had visited it six years ago during our first cruise, and it felt good. However, while walking along the river this time, we smelled the stench of dead salmon. The river and its banks were filled with salmon that couldn't make it upstream.

After a considerable walk, we found a seafood restaurant where we ordered a bowl of salmon chowder and a large crab. The taste of the crab was quite good, very fresh, better than what we had bought in a Phoenix store, and the prices seemed to have not increased much compared to six years ago.

We then took the shuttle back to the ship. We initially planned to go to the Chinese restaurant on board for dinner. However, when we arrived at the restaurant just as it opened, we were told it was fully booked, and we would have to wait an hour. We remembered having eaten there twice earlier this year during our cruise to Central America, and the experience was not great. Since we didn't want to wait long, we went to the main dining room instead. The menu there changes every day, so there's always something delicious. After filling ourselves up, we walked on the deck to digest. Surprisingly, we had walked over twenty thousand steps today. The evening's entertainment was a concert by the vocalist Melissa Mc Laughlin, and that's how the day ended.

十月五日

昨天是海上航行，一整天都是在云里雾里，什么都看不见。早中餐去了花园餐厅自助餐，晚餐在主餐厅。这是我们最近十二个月第四次乘坐NCL了，好像他们所有的船菜单都差不多。剩下时间就看看书，去了一下健身房，还有在甲板上绕船走走，一天下来也走了有一万多步。晚上去看了魔术秀。

今天一早船来到这次行程的第一站，凯奇坎（Ketchikan) 。船停靠在离凯奇坎镇不远的小码头, 是NCL和另外一家游船公司专用码头。这次我们自由行，不跟团。早餐后就下船坐免费专车去市中心，赶去看伐木工秀。第一次看类似的秀，跟着起哄搞笑，很开心。然后就在城里转转。我们六年前来过这里，那是第一次乘坐游轮，感觉不错。但这次沿着小河边走时，闻到死三文鱼的臭味，河里河边都是那些未能逆行而上的三文鱼。

转了一大圈后，找了一家海鲜店要了一碗三文鱼浓汤和一个大肉蟹，味道相当不错，很新鲜，比在凤凰城店里买的好吃点，好像价格与六年前相比也没涨多少。

然后就乘坐专车回船。晚餐原打算是去船上的中国饭店，结果掐着点刚开始营业我们就来到饭店门口，居然被告知已客满，要等一个小时。还记得今年初坐这艘船去中美洲时在这家饭店吃过二次，印象并不好，而今天我们只是想再试一下，同时也是想换个口味。既然客满了，不想等那么久，于是又来到主餐厅。那里每天的菜单都不一样，所以总是有好吃的。吃饱喝足先去甲板走走消化一下，再看一下今天走的路，居然有走二万多步。今天晚上的节目是听演唱会，一天就这样结束了。

Embarkation-16 days Pacific Crossing Cruise上船了

Oct. 3, 2023: Yesterday, we left Phoenix and flew to Seattle, where we stayed at the Marriott Hotel near the airport for one night. When we checked in last night, the front desk informed us that there was a cruise shuttle service to the terminal with a price similar to Uber, so we had them arrange it for us. This morning, the shuttle arrived promptly at the hotel, and in about thirty minutes, we arrived at Pier 66. Seeing the NCL Jewel cruise ship there gave us a sense of nostalgia because we had sailed on the NCL Jewel in January when we went to Panama.

The embarkation process was straightforward, with not many people and no need to wait in line. We were on board in no time. Moreover, our stateroom had already been cleaned and was ready for us to move in. Despite having taken several NCL cruises in the past year, this was our smoothest embarkation experience. After settling in, we went to the Garden Cafe on the twelfth deck for lunch. We knew that the buffet there wasn’t the best, but for our first meal, we opted for convenience. After lunch, the sky cleared up, and we disembarked to stroll along the nearby waterfront. The waterfront park felt so familiar because we had spent three months in Seattle in the summer of 2021, leaving countless footprints there.

Our ship departed at 5:30 PM, right on schedule, slowly leaving Seattle behind. It was a rare instance of such great weather, and the view of Seattle from the sea was breathtaking.

In the evening, we dined at the main restaurant downstairs and then went to watch a comedy show. For the next month, this ship will be our home.

十月三日: 昨天离开凤凰城飞到西雅图，在机场附近的万豪酒店住了一晚上。昨晚入住时前台告诉我们有游船码头专车可以来酒店接我们，价格和Uber差了不多，我们直接就让前台订了。今天上午专车准时来到酒店接我们，三十分钟左右便抵达66码头。看到NCL Jewel 游轮停在那里，我们有种亲切感，因为今年一月去巴拿马时就是坐的NCL Jewel 这艘船。

上船手续很简单，人不多不用排队，一会儿就上了船。而且客房已经清理干净，直接可以入住。近一年坐了不少NCL的船，这么顺利还是第一次。安顿好后，我们就上十二层花园餐厅用餐。知道那里的自助餐并不怎么样，第一顿，图个方便。午餐后，天空转晴，我们俩下船沿着附近海边溜达。海边公园是多么熟悉，二零二一年夏天我们在西雅图住了三个月，在海边公园那里留下无数脚印。

我们的船5:30pm 准时启航，慢慢离开西雅图。难得这么好的天气，从海上看西雅图，风景优美。

晚上先去楼下的主餐厅吃晚餐，然后去看Comedy show。

接下来近一个月这艘船就是我们的家了。