GOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!

Nha Trang, Vietnam October 27th 2011

Today will go down as one of the best days I have had on this trip so far....and that’s saying alot! Well, after the long, hot and sticky raft drill in the morning, Eli, Sam and I went to meet Jess and David out where the free shuttle drops you off. It was so hot, but right outside the ship there was a market and they sold young coconuts to drink, so naturally Eli bought some for us :) We then got to where the shuttle drops you off and bargained with a cab driver to take us all for 60 us dollars to a remote area where Eli had read about waterfalls and cliffs to jump off of. We knew it was far, but we really had hoped the cab driver knew exactly where it was. I was a little nervous too, I remember because in the cab ride, I got bit a few times by bugs and I had remembered, I totally sprayed myself with sweet perfume before stepping outside. Not the best idea to wear perfume while trekking through the jungle of NAM! So, we drive down a really bumpy and un-paved road and finally arrive at a park where we were to walk to the waterfall. It was right out of a movie. I wanted C.C.R’s “fortunate son” to be the soundtrack of going through these bushes and stepping through marshy water. I could hear the cicadas chirping so loud, it sounded like construction. There were moss covered rocks we had to climb over, and tons of areas with rushing clear water. We knew the waterfall was close, but we didn’t know how to get there. Suddenly, tada!, there was a guide and a few other ladies who showed us to the exact piece of paradise we wanted to see. The picturesque, tropical, booming waterfall we all had hoped for was right in front of our eyes. Deep breath.....this was a dream! I was so thrilled to be here, I thought I could step into a shallow part of the water off the rock, but I slipped right in, dress and all, and floated down the strong current! haha I was soaked, but it felt so refreshing. It was so hot and humid, that the water is exactly what we needed to cool ourselves off. We then all climbed further up, only to jump from the high up cliff all the way into the water. I was flying, but when I hit the water, I went bottom first and screamed cause it was the most painful slap! :) but the pain went away when I got back out and heard the waterfall. We then all climbed up to the top of the waterfall and our little guide (guardians) yelled at us not to jump. I guess we would have gotten hurt from there because it was so high! It was so gorgeous! I could have stayed there forever, I kid you not. However, we did have to start heading back, and so we all headed to one last place. The chum towers were another part of our day. They are old temples carved out of stone, and they were so stunning. It was like a mini-Petra in Jordan (as David called it).  What a day, seriously. I love Vietnam. It was kind of crazy to think about how we were here just a few decades ago, and now, a new generation is here to visit, with new and refreshed feelings. Tomorrow, we are in Singapore overnight! hooorahhhhh!

KING KONG or was it hong kong?

Hong Kong, China October 24th and 25th

It’s pretty surreal spending my 23rd birthday in a country I never imagined I would get to go to. But nowadays, my life is pretty exciting. I don’t ever want to take it for granted. The first day of Hong Kong, a group of us (Sam, Eli, Jess, Dan and I) all went to the Buddha located on an island in Hong Kong....I can’t remember the exact name right now, but it is where the BUDDHA was enlightened. We took some awesome subways through scenic areas to an area to catch the cable cars to the island. The line to get to the cable car was long, but I was thoroughly entertained by the good company I was with. We got onto the glass bottomed cable car that took about 30 minutes to get to the island. We were so high off the ground, good thing I am not afraid of heights. It was just gorgeous too. We could see the airport, the beach, and fisherman walking through the shallow parts of the water. It was a spectacular sight. And when we got over the hump of the mountain, there it was. The big Buddha made out of stone that sits so peacefully on top of the hill. It was stunning. We then go into town and there were little shops and bubbles and monks walking around. We were amazed at how commercialized the tree of enlightenment was. It was actually plastic. They put that in instead of a real one....maybe for preservation? Anywho, it was cool to see the most holy place for buddhists after just being in the most holy place for christians in Jerusalem a few months ago. It was very peaceful and very warm. I was sweating pretty profusely walking up the steps to see the big buddha, but it was worth it. After we went back down, Sam had to leave and the rest of us went to see the temple. It was so ornate and there was a monk performing a ceremony just as we walked in. I have to admit, after a while, taking photos of everything starts to feel like you begin to miss out on the actual beauty, so I paused for a bit to take it all in. All the sights, all the incense, and all the sounds of the chinese workers doing construction. It also made me think how every part of this earth has a holiness and a peacefulness, as well as every person. But we as a people seem to make only specific area more important than others. Jess and I were talking about how this amazing place (though awesome to see and experience) probably was much more peaceful before people deemed it as an important place. It is cool that they built a shrine  where buddha was enlightened, but before that, wasn’t it just a mountain like any mountain? wasn’t it just a beautiful tree like all of the trees? I guess what I am getting at, is beauty is literally in everything. And if we only took some time to cherish the small things too, we wouldn’t be so focused on a few great things. 

Ok, so after my little rant :) haha we went down the cable car. We made our way back into town and we all got the best massages ever. Jess and Eli paid for my whole massage as a gift and it was an hour and a half body massage with a reflexology foot massage! Oh my gosh, this place was so clean and so beautiful. It was all red, and there were rooms with beds in them and tons of people waiting to help you. It was also quiet, unlike some places you can go in America, where people are loud during the massage. They gave us tea and little cotton outfits to climb on into. Jess, Eli and I were all in the same room for our massages. It was so funny (and Jess, pleeeeease forgive me for saying this) Jess’ guy giving her the massage slapped her behind a few times and giggled cause he had never seen someone as well shaped as she is. We all roared with laughter! I guess they don’t have curves in China ;). I had a guy who used just the right amount of pressure. Some of it hurt so bad, but felt so good after. I needed this! I must have dropped in voice range after as well, because I sounded like a tenor! It was truly relaxing.

After our massages, we were all pumped to go out, but we needed outfits! So Jess and I wandered into places to get something funky to wear out. We didn’t want to spend too much and we wanted to look kind of crazy. And finally, we found the perfect retro outfits to go dancing in. Hot pink and yellow skirts and over the shoulder tops! It was perfect.

We then needed to go back to the ship in order to shower and get ready. So, we got ready and waited for a bit for people to be able to go out with us to a bar called insomnia, which I guess had a live band and a whole street full of awesome bars.

When we got there, it was all decorated for halloween and the clubs were packed! Everyone from the shop was there too! It was such a party! Then there was this awesome cover band from the Philippines who played the best music. They sang happy birthday to me and I turned candy apple red! It was so fun though, I danced the night away and had the best 23rd celebration I could ever ask for!

25th

The next day, as expected, we were all pretty tired! So, I got some free internet and coffee in the morning and then went to get foot massages with my friend Adele. We ended up going to get some incredible thai food as well. It was a relaxing day, and an amazing birthday! thanks again to everyone who made it special! 

So, I know halloween is coming up....does anyone have an idea for me? I am so bad at thinking of quick and creative things haha. Love and miss you all!

Shanghai warrior

October 19th and 20th Shanghai, China 

On our first day in Shanghai, Jess, Eli, Sam and I went wandering together. We had some things we all wanted to do and had a limited time together (Sam had to work at 4:30) So, we go out into town and wander the metropolis city of Shanghai. It was stunning. The buildings are futuristic, majestic and put New York architecture on a lower level (sorry New Yorkers). Anywho, we took some photos of the town and we went shopping for a bit. I had a nice time wandering. There was no pressure and it was a picturesque day once again. We stopped and got a bite to eat and some wine at a little cafe downtown. Man, Jess and I each got a tiny bottle of wine that was 30 US dollars each! We were shocked, and realized we need to check the conversion rates before ordering the wine! It was tasty, but not worth the price. But hey, we were in Shanghai! We then got a cab to go into Old Town. Old Town is one of the coolest places in Shanghai. There are coy ponds and gardens and old world buildings down every street. I was so impressed at the ornate buildings here in town. It was really busy though, and easy to get lost. Sam stopped to get a tiny little buddha, and Jess and Eli wandered further, and I was sure we lost them for a bit. It was funny for a few minutes and then we were bummed and positive they were gone. But then Jess had just stopped a little ahead to get her family some gifts. I got a ton of gifts for friends and family already, so I am cooling it off for a while on gifts here in Asia....I hope ya’ll don’t mind! Moving on, we all wanted to go to a tea tasting ceremony and actually see what that was like. We followed some girl in Old Town who took us up some stairs and into her little tea tasting area. Her voice was so soothing and she was so relaxed presenting each of the teas that it made my brain tingle. She taught us the right ways to hold the tea (dragon hands for men and Phoenix hands for women) and how to truly respect the benefits of the teas. I was so sleepy at the end of this free session. It was free, but they want you to buy things....and I did. haha. We then thought this would be the best time to go and get a massage, being all relaxed and all. So, Jess took us to place she went to the year before where they literally slap you with bamboo sticks to help the blood flow. Jess and I tried it, while Sam and Eli laughed at us. I didn’t like it, but Jess was in a trance. Sam said it must have been some cruel practical joke they made up years ago where people are still laughing. Those crazy Americans will buy into anything if you call it an ancient chinese tradition. :) So, after that, Sam had to get back to work and Eli, Jess and I wandered some more around old town. Then, we all got hungry and searched for a long time for a restaurant that would fill us up and be a reasonable price like our food in Beijing. We finally found an authentic restaurant and ate it very fast. We were ravenous. We then went back to the ship to rest up before our big night out. We walked back and it was spectacular. The sky line was rich with color and lights. I was at Disneyland haha. We got back just in time to see the last half of the acrobatic show onboard. It was awesome. I swear these Chinese gymnasts are flexible! Jess and Eli went out, while I waited for Sam to get off work at 12:00. It would have been hard to find people out alone, so I thought it would be best if I waited. We met up at a swanky live music bar aptly named  Rendezvous. It was happening, but really expensive, so we wandered around some more to find another place. We did a little too much wandering because we only got to stay out for another hour after that, but it was fun, so I am thankful that we got to see the night of Shanghai. 

Also, I forgot to mention in my blog for Beijing, that while I was out at the bar with Jess in our artsy part of town, we ran into a group of Americans who knew a ton of people from Elon! I was amazed, but also, how many times does this happen to me? The world keeps getting smaller and smaller!

Shanghai Day 2

Today I just went out with Sam because Jess and Eli got sick....and were quarantined (locked in their rooms for eating bad chinese food) I thought I had dodged a serious bullet here, since I didn’t get sick today, but low and behold, here I am, trapped in my room for two days because I got sick the next day. I think it was the spicy chinese food. More information than you need to know right? haha well, anyway, I was feeling fine in port so we did what Sam wanted to do; ride the magnetic 300 km/hr bullet train to the airport. I felt like we were champs. We walked to the Subway, then got on line 2, and got a round trip ticket to the airport and back. The train went 301 km/hr and when we passed another train going the opposite way, I nearly jumped out of my seat it went so fast! We didn’t stay at the airport, instead, went back right away to get some food into town. We wandered around town forever trying to find something that wouldn’t upset our stomachs, or break the bank, but for some reason, we couldn’t find anything but Starbucks. I know, I know, I’m ashamed to admit. We ate a snack at starbucks. But at least it was guaranteed haha. So after that, we wandered back and some nice conversation about life in our futures. This trip has really made me respect every day as an adventure. 

After I got home from Shanghai, the next morning, I got sick. It’s a rule on the ship that you must call and report the sickness right away to the nurse. So, naturally, I did. They make you stay locked in your cabin for 48 hours! I haven’t even gotten sick since then, and to be honest, I feel weak cause I have no fresh air! And I think I watched every depressing movie possible yesterday. Let’s see American History X, American Beauty, American Pshyco (to keep with the theme) and Requiem for a Dream. All great films, but not the best things to watch alone in your room. I am going a bit crazy not gonna lie, so if any of you have any suggestions. Shoot :) 

"He who doesn't reach the great wall isn't a true man" Mao Ze Dong

October 14, 2011

Dalian, China

We made it to China! As soon as I got off the boat to do my early morning passenger tour around Dalian, I was filled with excitement. I was in China, all the way around the world, ready for all of the amazing adventures that come to me. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to be in a place where nearly everyone speaks another language, and you are the minority. Anyway, I had to find my tour bus right away, so I looked for bus 2. My tour guide Joe was a sweet old man who welcomed me right away to China, along with his assistants Tony, Li and my favorite, Nancy. I sat next to Nancy right away as all the passengers loaded onto the bus. She is an English student and this helps her to speak English and learn it when a bus full of English speakers come to her country. She was very proud of her homeland, telling me all of the amazing things she feels China has to offer. I was looking through the bus windows in awe of the old-world architecture. Our guide Joe was singing to us many songs on the way there, but it really moved me when he began to sing, “You Are my Sunshine”. Mainly because it holds sentimental value to me. My Grandpa Mesler always used to sing that to me....miss you Grandpa. 

Our first stop on the bus was at the Pole Aquarium. We were all lead to a dolphin and whale show and everything was in Chinese. Luckily, I made friends with Nancy and she was telling me what was going on. It was basically Sea World, but all in Chinese. The next stop on our bus was at a Kindergarten. We got to see all the little one’s playing and  then take a tour of their place of learning. We had to take off our shoes before we took the tour. It’s considered rude to wear your shoes inside, but it makes sense because the bathrooms are so dirty in China. And young children don’t wear diapers, instead they just pop a squat, like a dog and do their business wherever they want! They even have little holes in their pants to accommodate for that factor! In the Kindergarten, they had these adorable little bunk beds for their nap time....man, if only us Americans would have had little bunk beds for out nap times...maybe I would have taken my naps :) We then went to what was my favorite part of the tour. We got to go inside someone’s house. The host, Mr. Li, welcomed a small group an I into his home along with our translator, Wendy. Mr. Li showed us around while we asked him questions and Wendy translated. It was so sweet, he offered us tea and snacks right away. His daughter was away with his wife, but he was happy to have us visit. His home was pristine. It was simply decorated, but very clean. His daughter was a champion pianist there in Dalian. I told him that I sang, and gladly sang for him “someone to watch over me”. It was really a fun experience. Then, we all loaded back onto the bus and went to get some lunch and entertainment. The food was gourmet, and the entertainment was nothing like I have ever seen (except maybe on youtube haha). There was a guy that changed his “face” every few minutes, a guy that spinned plates, and a young girl that stretched her legs over her head and spun around on her neck. I was amazed. Seriously, the girl was the most impressive. I couldn't believe the acrobatic tricks that she could do at age eight. The food was also really spicy and delicious. They gave us tiny plates and tons of food. I couldn’t keep track of all the food I was scarfing down. The last stop, we went to People’s Square where there was a large fountain and little old ladies selling kites. I was very impressed with the culture and people of Dalian. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my new friends I had made, but I was sure grateful that happened. Lucky me. Next stop, Beijing overnight!

October 15th and 16th

Beijing, China

What an adventure today was! We (Dan, Eli, Jess, Brad, David and I) tried to get off the ship really early,  but because of strict immigration, we could not exit til about 11:30. We then get outside and we are greeted by several, angry, yelling Chinese people. They all wanted us to get into their taxi. Our tour guide on the ship told us it should only cost about 15 dollars to catch a ride to the train station, so we were set on getting the best deal possible. Once of the ladies was really angry and mean and convinced us to take a cab ride for thirty....or so we thought....she then raised it to 40. But after a while, you just go for it. You just want to get out of there and head into town. So, we got the train station in tianjin and took a thirty minute bullet train ride into Beijing. I could not believe how fast the train went. We almost got up to 300 km per hour! I tried to catch a wave of sleep, but I was way too excited. We then got into Beijing and tried to get a cab to the hostel we were looking at staying at for the night. None of the cab drivers spoke any English, and so that was impossible. It took a lot of time to find anyone who spoke any English, but finally we did, and we took the Subway into the part of town we wanted to go to. I was in NO WAY any assistance to getting there. I was lost and very thankful I was with people who were directionally savvy. After we got into our final stop, Brad and David agreed to come with us to our hostel first....but we had to find it. Again, the search was for an English speaker. We saw a group of American tourists and asked them where our hostel was. They gave us vague directions, but we were taken to this really artsy part of town where supposedly our hostel was. It was amazing. There were red lamps everywhere, cute little art shops and tons of bars. I looked at Dan, Eli and Jess and we all agreed we would want to stay in this area tonight no matter what. We were running out of time to go to the wall, since it closed at 5:00, so we just decided to stay in for the night. We couldn’t find our hostel, but we did end up finding this awesome hotel for 15 bucks a person and a guy that organized our tour to the wall really early in the morning. It was a great deal. He also told us we could still make it to the Forbidden City and Tianaman Square if we wanted to go. So, that is exactly what we ended up doing. We went to the city, and marveled at the amazing architecture, and then wandered around Tianamen Square for the night. It was breathtaking. The weather was a crisp fall delight and the sun was setting just as we walked into the Square. We were all getting really hungry after our day of travel, and so we stopped to get a gourmet meal out. The food here was so cheap, and so incredible. We were the only tourists in the restaurant, so we knew it had to be good. We had tofu, duck (including the brain), beef, cashew chicken, rice and many other to die for items of food. I was stuffed and it was under 20 bucks for each of us! I couldn’t believe it! After dinner, Brad and David went back to their hotel and called it a night, and we decided to head back to our area of town. At first, we had some discrimination coming from the cab drivers! No one would take us! We even had a card that had the chinese words and characters on it, but they scoffed at us, and wouldn’t take us. When we finally got someone to take us back to our quaint part of town, we wandered around shopped, and stopped into an awesome bar. We walked up to the loft of the bar, took our shoes off and sat on some pillows. We were laughing so much and saw several different travelers pass by, including a group of very blonde Swedish boys with cool haircuts and style. They were on vacation and heading to Bangkok the next morning. We then went back to our hotel, and I saw a group of Chinese teens lighting up an air balloon and letting it go into the moonlight. It was breathtaking, really. After that, the boys stayed in, and Jess and I decided to head back out. I mean, hey, we were only going to be in Beijing for the night. :) Live it up! So we went back to a bar and started talking with a ton of travelers from all around the world. We met an Irish guy who taught English, a few Ukrainian people, a guy from Canada and a pilot from China who lived in England. I was amazed at the kind of people hanging out in this part of town. This had to be the coolest area in Beijing, hands down.

The next day, we got up bright and early and waited for our cab driver to take us to the Great Wall. I was so tired, but happy I got to see the nightlife of China. When I stepped outside our hotel, the street was dead. It was so quiet and incredibly peaceful. Such a shift from the night time bustle. We drove to the wall, and on the way, I got all giddy because there were so many gorgeous fall trees. Nothing makes me more excited than the fall season. It was a treat seeing all of these leaves. I didn’t expect fall to be the same in China. I would say it looked similar to North Carolina, but the mountains were not the same shape. They were actually really uneven and lumpy, but quite stunning. We then literally climbed up to the highest part of the great wall that we could go. Inching up very slowly behind the massive crowd of people. However, the higher we climbed, the less people showed up haha. It was breathtaking. The views were to die for and it could not have been a more idealistic day for climbing the Great Wall. I am so blessed that I got to see this wonder at the age of 22. I was also amazed that people were taking so many photos with us, just because we are American. I felt like a novelty...it was weird. We had quite the day of traveling back to the ship, but made it back smoothly. I was so impressed. Everything was cheap, fun and not stressful. I took in everything I could and I don’t regret a moment of this little overnight getaway in Beijing. Next stop, Shanghai! 

South Korea :)

October 11, Pusan/Busan South Korea

Today we had an impromptu show of Dancin’ Fool, so we had to rehearse and do our tech early in the morning, but you better believe I was out there quick as I could so I could see this awesome port in South Korea. Luckily, they had a free shuttle that could take us on into town from the port. A few of the cast members went out together and started to marvel at this different land. The first stop we made was at a lookout point where you could get a ticket to go up really high onto what looked exactly like Seattle's space needle. Even being up there, I thought it looked so much like seattle. The day was gorgeous, about 70 degrees and crisp and it all felt so new. We got down from the space needle and an adorable woman stopped Jess to tell her something and Jess could not understand her at all because she spoke korean. But after a while, she spelled it out and was telling her she was pretty. I thought it was such a testament to their culture that they pay compliments until someone gets it, no matter what, AND they don’t accept tips. It’s so different from our culture. After the space needle- ma- jig, we walked into town to the fish market. On our way to the market, we saw the MOST adorable little puppies in a shop and we had to stop to pet them, but the owners said NO TOUCHY! I surely hope those puppies weren’t meant for Korean Barbeque.:) When we got to the market, I was stunned. I have never in my life seen so many exotic fish and sea creatures being sold on the street. It was an aquarium. We all wondered, how do they sell this many fish in a day? Wouldn’t it go bad? There were Giant King crabs, slippery eels, squids of all shapes and sizes, sea cucumbers that squirt, and every fish imaginable. I was in awe and wonder. And it didn’t smell as bad as I thought a fish market would smell haha. After the market, we were running out of time, so we searched for a tea house. I wanted to have some tea here in Korea, so we split up and Jess, Eli and I went to a cute cafe and Brad and David went to the nicest Pizza Hut they had ever been in. At the tea house, we walked up some stairs and into a room where no one spoke any english. They took us into a little nook in the corner with a curtain. It was adorable, each room decorated uniquely and we got to sit on the side with a window to view the outside. Outside of our window was a precious town full of tiny people. It looked like an outdoor mall, but miniature and cuter....I can’t explain it. But when we wanted our tea, we buzzed our waitress in and she gladly came to serve us. It was so nice. Everyone was incredibly sweet, and I truly did not want to leave. And neither did 3 of our crew member who missed the boat and had to fly to the next port ahhh!

October 12- Jeju city, South Korea

Today I had no idea what to expect. So far, I loved my day in South Korea, Pusan, and I had overheard that there were pretty beaches here in this port. So, I out on some sunscreen (50, no tan lines, they’re tacky) and a group of us wandered into port. We took a taxi to Dragon rock, where there was a beach, but not really the kind you lay out at. Tons of rocks, including one that looked sort of like a dragon. It reminded me of Laguna beach a little, the rocky area, and the fact that there were Koreans bbq-ing on the beach. :) After exploring that area, we asked an information lady where we should go next. With the little english she spoke, she sweetly told us to go to Hella Arboretum, which was an outdoor free plant area?...I guess....haha. Basically there were a ton of gorgeous trees and nature. I was happy I got to see that. The cab ride was cheap, but took longer than I expected. So, with the limited amount of time we had, we needed to head back early. At the park, there were a ton of adolescent boys who marveled at the girls in my group, giving us high fives as they said, “you’re pretty”....it was really cute and funny. The Koreans were really welcoming and we had a blast in their land. Today we are in Incheon, and it’s near Seoul, but I have IPM.....but tomorrow, CHINA!!!!! We begin that adventure! I have a tour tomorrow with the guests, and I need to rest up for that. We hit Beijing the next day for an overnight where we will be seeing the Great Wall, The Forbidden City and staying in a hostel overnight (and more)......looking forward to some good fun and stories. Catch ya’ll later!

Kiss the land

10/08/11 

12 days at sea matey’s, and the first stop, Vladivostock, Russia! I didn’t think I would be able to get off the ship because I had IPM (in port manning) but a few of the cast members were sure they didn’t want to explore this garbage town. As crazy as it sounds, though it was gloomy and people were unfriendly and everything was in Russian, I thought it was awesome. I needed to be on land. It kind of smelled bad getting off the ship and the entire place was under construction. But there were no saftey signs not to fall in a ditch....with my clumsy record, I am shocked I didn’t fall down one of them! So, in the morning, My friends Eli and Dan and I wandered off the ship looking to find something interesting. I was smiling so big, just grateful to be on land! I love exploring new places and seeing new cultures. The funny thing is that we were off so early, NOTHING was open. So, they found maybe the nicest Cinnebon and got some grub. Of course! haha such American consumers! But it was the only thing open....really. Then we wandered to some statues in the middle of town of some serious Russian political figures and people watched. There were many many old men wearing camouflage gear, young guys with flourishing mullets, and girls with Zooey Dechanel bangs and boots. After hanging out there for a bit, we wandered into the coolest coffee shop in town by accident. There was an english speaking guy there who gave us a free cup of coffee and told us all about his life. He was Russian, but studied English and Spanish abroad, but decided to come and work in a coffee shop there to bring something back to his culture. It was fascinating. Everyone there seemed really depressed and the people in the coffee shop were unlike the others. I was impressed that Vladimir (coffee shop guy) was so friendly. We also have alot of eastern European workers on our ship that are out of the ordinary friendly as well....it’s cool. But anywho, while sitting in the coffee shop, another friendly business man chatted it up with us and told us where to explore. We then wandered some more and picked up our friend Emily to join us. We went back to the statues, and noticed there was a ton of people gathered in the lot in front. It was kind of like a carnival, but no carnival items or things to do. It was really confusing. There were, however, small children on barbie mobiles running over the adults. It was funny. Then Eli, Emily and I looked for food. Emily was starving and went back to the ship, and Eli and I went to an amazing restaurant where we shared a vegetable dish, some water and a hookah that cost 1,000 bucks! ahhhh just kidding, roobles, which are not as bad...haha. It was charming though, our waiter speaking english to us was so awesome. I wish I could at least speak a little ! ahhh Next stop, South Korea! :)