Cooking in Hoi An

Hoi An is a quait place that is huge on charm. An international trading center in the 16th and 17th Century today it is busting with tourists and locals alike. Once Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indian traders once set up emporiums and had their own quarters today it pure a town where one truly can get an honest sense of Vietnamese culture. I was able to take a Vietnamese cooking class from one of Vietnam’s top chefs and restaurateurs. We began by going to the local market where we observed locals shopping for their meats, vegetables, eggs, spices, and everything else in between. The meat would be lying out in a covered area being freshly chopped by the butcher. Heads, entrails, and all the every other body part imaginable is open to an eager buyer. As a vegetarian I was fairly repulsed by the onslaught of dead smell, but part of me also knows that every part of the animal was being used and most the animals were given far better treatment then the saran wrapped processed meats we see in the all mighty USDA regulated supermarkets. I saw eggs of all sizes and colors. Vegetables I have never seen and fruits that look outright mean with thorns and prickly leaves. Sampling the scrumptious fruits reminded me to never judge a book by its cover. We then proceeded through the gorgeous lamp lined streets of town to the restraint and cooking school where we would learn how to prepare some of the exact ingredients we saw in the markets into scrumptious items fit for a Vietnamese king and his 300 concubines. We learned the tedious process of making rice paper, of how they roast peanuts, sesame seeds, and fry up shallots. We learned how to shred into fine Juliann slice papaya. Every bite mindfully prepared to the nature to the Yin Yang or balance of texture, flavor, smell, and size. We prepared and ate a full meal of Salad Rolls, BBQ meat (tofu for me), Papaya Salad and Morning Glory. Food blissed we rolled out of school and hit the streets for some sights, sounds, smells, and shops that are now seared into my memory. Hoi An is a unique treasure trove of a variety of traditional architectures. Monuments, living quarters, and temples are all preserved and intact as if this land was untormented by the many war and colonial occupations that have left their scar in so many other places. As we entered the Confucianism temple we were immediately engulfed in plumes of smoke from the numerous incense coils, and joss sticks used for worship by followers. We were witness to people asking for blessings for the New Year or Tet as it is called in Vietnam. Statues depicted stories or stood as symbol to this fascinating religion. I was entranced by the peace. I was annoyed by the unruly American tourists calling out the injustice of the proliferation of incense and the lack of understanding they held. Walking through the streets my imagination went wild with thoughts of past, present, and future Hoi An. What was it like when these lamps were lit by no electrical means. How I longed to walk the romantic streets with loved one by my side enjoying the laid back pace and nature of this enchanting place. How long will Hoi An maintain this old world charm that makes it so beautiful. Yes Hoi An has taken a place in my heart. It’s timeless beauty, simplicity, and its raw culture fascinate me. Thank you Hoi An and maybe I will see, smell, and savor you again.

Millennium Arrival

I began my latest travels in Sydney Australia, well actually Seattle. I had a flight from Seattle to Dallas which was rather seamless. I had fantastic service at the airport and no issues with my large carry-on of two trombones. In Dallas I enjoyed some Texas wine before boarding my long flight to Brisbane Australia. The plane to Brissi (as locals call it) was relatively empty. I lucked out and had the whole row to myself. I could barely contain myself! So I didn’t. I stretched out across the three seats watched some movies slept and enjoyed the fine airplane cuisine provided. It was a quick 17.5 hours and then we arrived in Brisbane. There I had to get off the plane go through a security check where they confiscated the water given to me on my last flight and then reboarded the same plane and went to the same seat. The joys of airport security. At the airport in Brisbane I met a fellow crew member, Langden, who I worked with before on another ship. We had been on the same flight! He did not have the row to himself so I tried to keep quiet about my luck. Finally after over 24 hours of travel time we arrived in Sydney. At the Sydney airport there was a super nice porter who gave us two options wait for a shuttle or walk ten minutes to our hotel. Langden and I decided to stretch our legs and walk. It was a hot day. Hard to believe I left the cold rain of an encroaching winter just 24 hours ago and was no in the balmy heat of an Australian summer. The hotel check-in was smooth and I was pleased to find I had my own room there. Not wanting to waste a day as it was not even noon time Langden and I decided to meet up and take the train into downtown. Easy as pie it was to find the station and be on our way. On arrival at Circular Quay we went our separate ways and I was off to wander about in a town I had become familiar with the previus year. I went to the Opera house excited to get some shots of this icon from down under with my new camera. The Sydney Opera House was just as marvelous as ever. More and more I try to come up with different ideas of what exactly the shape is. This time it was distinctly a living organism with gills. It practically breathed as I stood underneath it gazing up at the reflective white tiles and my reflection in the windows. I walked all around the complexes, studying each angle and curve and marveling at the architectural science behind it. The thought that the guy who thought it up had a vision with no plan and this was the result. It was an inspiration for the next years of my life. I have a grand vision of what the architecture of my soul and being will become, but the plan at this point is fluid. I know though that in the end it will be marvelous. After the Opera House I went to the Rocks area to enjoy a nice lunch and beer and just wonder about. I followed that with a walk through the park and over to Darling Harbor. It was nice to just walk around and enjoy. I had seen most the tourist stuff so it was time to just enjoy a walk. Take time to breathe before I joined the ship. Reflect on my vacation and all that happened in those months away from the ship life and to prepare for a contract free from distraction. It was feeling right. I was feeling right. I headed to the gorgeous Queen Victoria Mall and took some pictures of the opulent Christmas display. I was reminded that it was Christmas season. Even though it was in the upper 80’s and my shorts were too hot, and I being made aware by the hot sensation on my exposed skin that I was not wearing sunscreen the Christmas tree done up in lights and the plethora of shoppers and Santa and Elf figurines would not betray the fact that it was the Christmas Season. Exhausted and filled with all the Sydney joy I could manage I caught the train back to my hotel. Upon arriving I was greeted by another close ship friend, Anita, my Hungarian Shore-Ex buddy who was so kind to my family. She introduced me to several people she had been hanging out with that were joining the ship. I joined a dinner table with people from the Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey. We all decide to go for dinner at the hotel so we could get to bed early for our long sign-on day ahead. At the table we talked about what we did on vacation, what we hoped to see in Asia, what ships we worked on in the past, or what ship life was like for those who were greenies. I was back to my ship life and my ship family. The crazy vagabonds we all are and the sea that brings us together. The next morning came sooner then we all would have liked. As usual it was a very early meeting time for the bus to the ship. We all made it on time and were sitting on the bus headed to our new home. The many mixed feelings on the bus were tangible in hot and humid air. Some were about to be reunited with a loved one on the ship, some had just said good-bye to a loved one back home. Some left their families back home and for some the ship family was their only family. Some were about to begin tremendously back breaking work with long work days and longer work weeks. I was excited to get back to performing every night. I was excited to refocus on my trombone. I was excited for new faces and happy I already met familiar ones. I was excited that I knew people already on the ship. I was sad to be at the beginning of six months away from my family and the community and my training at Seven Star. I was heartbroken to be away from dear Mocha and Chai again. It is a strange comfort to know life carries on without you. As the bus trodded along in the rush hour sludge the radio announcer was talking about the exciting event occurring that afternoon in Sydney. Usually these announcement of events are ignored to some measure on the crew bus because we all know we will not be in town to enjoy. This event however had a twist of irony that brought a snicker of laughter to most on the bus. The big event that was going ‘to be a sight to see” was happening in Sydeny harbor when two of the largest ships to ever come in the harbor would cross paths in the harbor as my new home, The Celebrity Millennium, sailed away and the Voyager of the Seas sailed in. It was going to something to see the DJ said on the Radio. Our fame was palatable. Then as the bus turned the corner there she was, The Celebrity Millennium. The Millennium is bigger than the ship I have spent the majority of my ship time on but the same size as the Constellation. As we waited for three hours outside of the ship waiting for the clearance to board I learned I would be rooming with a dancer. This was troubling news as they have a certain reputation. I also learned that the job I had been told I would be doing whilst onboard had just been given to someone else. This was an ominous start and I had not even stepped on the gangway. I remembered quickly how futile the question, “Why?” is when you work on the ship. The answer, or non-answer is always, “It’s just the way ships work.” I made the choice right there on the gangway, well not on the gangway as we were still being held up just steps away from the gangway for 3.5 hours, to smile, accept, and let go.

Key West

Key West is a small place in the South of Florida that seems to attract beach bums and retirees. In the last few cruises to Key West I did two Nature Kayak excursions. On these excursions we kayaked all around and learned about the environment of the Keys.

We kayaked in mangroves which are fascinating trees that live in salt water. The water here is absolutely clear because of the natural process of the mangrove filtration and the sea grass. Mangroves are fresh water trees able to live in Salt Water due to their use of a sacrificial leaf. The mangrove takes in the water and filters the salt out and puts it all into one leaf which will then turn yellow die and fall off for the sake of the whole tree. The mangroves will grow in a way that they seem to form their own little islands. They create protective areas from hurricanes and such. In high winds going into the mangroves can protect you.

On our excursion, we were able to see all sorts of birds I’ve never seen in the wild such. Especially Pelicans! So cute these birds are. Then as we kayaked more, our guide would find, capture and show us all kinds of sea creatures and pass it around so we could touch and feel. There were: spiny sea star, sea cucumbers, sea hare, conchs, tree oysters, anemone, and all kinds of sponges. She would explain the habitat their defense mechanisms and about how we need to preserve these creatures for the greater good. The conch is a protected species in the area as the numbers which were once in the tens of thousands are now in the thousands.

Another time in Key West I did a pub crawl. There are a ton of pubs in Key West. From seedy to shiny they have it all. Many have these “slushy” style drinks that are like any slushy you find in your local 7-11, but these are made with alcohol. Some with pure grain alcohol even. Restaurants abound boasting every type of fare, but the specialty being local seafood such as grouper and conch fritters. However, the thing to get here that you cannot get any other place that is truly a specialty of Key West is the Key Lime pie. YUMMY! I went to THE place for Key Lime. It was featured on the food network as having one of the ten best desserts in the nation. After my nibbles I would agree that this pie is delicious. They even have chocolate covered Key Lime Pie. In addition to perfectly prepared Key Lime Pie that is not too tart and not too sweet with a perfect texture and a divine graham cracker crust the place has a delicious ambiance. It is peaceful with a koi pond in the middle and trees to protect you from the throngs of tourists all around. All in all Key West is a nice little destination with some fascinating things to offer.

Coco Cay

We sailed to Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay, in the Bahamas. This island was a trippy experience. It was as if we dropped anchor and the ship services were teleported to the island and a few more added. Much of the staff from the ship had to work the places on the island and most of the musicians played on the main stage at the island. The food was pretty much prepared on our ship and delivered early morn to the island. They had grills and everything to cook burgers and such.

The Bahamas are all low lying islands with very little landscape due to all the hurricanes. If you ask me, they all look fairly desolate, but will have these magnificent white sandy beaches. Our ship was anchored out and there were boats that transported people back and forth to the island. When you get to the small island there are all sorts of brightly colored buildings each with its own purpose. There were shops and bars and such. These shops were all run by our ships own shop keepers. Other huts provided services and gear for rent such as: snorkeling equipment, jet skis, paddle boats, kayaks, hobbie sail boats, and wet suits. There was a huge water slide and this “aqua park” with inflatable activities.

I went snorkeling. With my injured ankle I could not do much, but I still saw a great deal by simply floating around. Fish would just come around me with this incredible curiosity. It was amazing. There were so many colors of fish-yellow, blue, orange, green, red, purple, black, and every color in between. I saw a Barracuda and this gorgeous eel. There was a sunken ship to explore and further out there was a sunken plane, but with my ankle I just kept to the reef and ship wreck. It was a truly beautiful day.

In addition to snorkeling I walked around the island as it is not really that big. At one part of the island you can walk more then 100 feet out into the water whilst it remains shallow and below the knees. There were people out in the far distance that seemed as though they were walking on water. All around the island are thousands of lounge chairs and hammocks. It is a truly peaceful place especially when you get away from the central area where most people congregate. It was had a good, but trippy time.

Stingray City

In Grand Cayman I had the fantastic opportunity to go snorkeling at a coral reef and then swim with Stingrays at Stingray City. The coral reef was so fun. There were so many cute fishes with so many colors. I would just float around mesmerized by all the colors of fish. I also loved the Sea Fans they were so amazing in color and grace. These purples and blues I couldn’t believe. In all Crayola would be hard pressed to find the method to making any one of these colors. I would just take picture after picture and I just loved it.

Then we went to this place called stingray city. It was just off the coral reef area known for being a great natural area for these gorgeous creatures. There were about six stingrays around us of all different sizes. It was such an amazing and different experience for me. They are so gentle and graceful and watching them transports you to simpler place. The guide actually caught one to show us up close and point out where the stinger was. Then they gave us some squid so we could feed the stingrays. They are wild and everything so it was just a very different and interesting experience. While in the water the stingrays would see you and swim towards you it was so awesome. Feeding them was awesome they would take the squid right out of your hands and move on. They are so curious too. I wouldn’t have any squid but they would swim up to me to just check me out. I began to try chase them to pet them more. I couldn’t help it, I just wanted to touch them.

Then we went to this 5.5 mile strip of beach called 7 mile beach… At the beach we received a rum punch, lunch, and lounge chair on the beach. Not sure what was in the rum punch, but it was good. It was nice to sit on the beach and just relax. Just as the tour was ended the clouds rolled in and the rain began. So I went back to the ship and just relaxed. It was another good day in the sun.

Jungle Buggy

I did an excursion in Cozumel Mexico called “Jungle Buggy Adventure” and it was so much fun my face hurt from smiling so much. I drove an ATV buggy which was basically an off road souped up go kart with roll cage. We went on trails that went in and out of the Cozumel jungle to a Beach area. The Cozumel jungle which is actually very low plants because of hurricane season. The land of Cozumel is not too friendly to growing much plants making tourism the number one economy here.

On the ATV we went fast and the trail was so so bumpy and it was totally fun. Driving the buggy was a lesson in just letting lose and being free. At first I was really tense trying to prevent shock from the rugged terrain. But the more I went, the more I realized I had to not fight it and to just let it be and let go my tension. The more I did the easier it was and the more fun it was.

The views were spectacular along the trail. The water is absolutely gorgeous-so blue and reflective. When in the jungle it would get dusty and therefore hard to see, but we would get views of the beach and it was amazing. Half way we stopped a Mayan Ruin where I learned that Cozumel was basically a honeymoon retreat for the ancient Mayans. It was a place that after marriage couples went to make offerings to the fertility goddess they would stay for about a week in worship. We visited this 600 year old Mayan temple. It was not huge because they knew about hurricanes so would build it low and sturdy.

After the trek we went to a beach and had some traditional Mexican food. Of course, I had vegetarian the option of a fajita. They basically grilled a bunch of yummy vegetables and then served it with rice, beans and handmade corn tortillas. They also gave us a free drink of choice so I had a margarita. Yummy. It was a great day in Cozumel!

St. Thomas Swim with Turtles

The next day we were in St. Thomas. St. Thomas is a part of the US Virgin islands so we were actually in the united states at this time. I was on an excursion to take this ship called the Doubloun to turtle cove and snorkel. The ship was this mock up pirate like ship. It was double masted at least. The waters were rocky getting out and we were under power not sail. One guy got sea sick. I don’t get sea sick, but hearing seeing or smelling someone vomiting makes me sick. I was able to block him out enough to keep me from getting sick. The sights of ST. Thomas definitely gave a sense of wealth to these vacation islands. Large hotels and vacation homes splashed across the surface. There are a few islands around St. Thomas one named Water Island. It is so named because it was the first island found to have fresh drinkable water by Christopher Columbus in this area. Another island was Hideaway island where pirates would lay in hiding to ambush ships headed to Water Island. The cove we went to swim with the endangered Sea Turtle was called Back Island, but I did not get the story behind that. There was a lighthouse on the top that our guide said during hurricane Ivan waves actually covered. That was amazing and a good example of how tall wave can get in storms.

We tied the boat to a buoy and jumped in to snorkel. This is a protected cove for the turtles. In the cove are nursing turtles who are still just growing big enough to venture out into the big sea. The closer to land we got the smaller the turtle. Being a protected area we were not allowed on the land. Being protected turtles we were also warned to not touch or get in their way at all. The fine for doing so was $50,000! I didn’t chance that. The turtles were amazing. They would be grazing on the grass at the bottom of the sea and after a long while would come to the surface to get a few breathes of air before returning to the bottom to continue feeding. This is what they do and that is that, eat, breath, and sleep somewhere. I was able to dive down to see them better as the water was not very deep. But when they would surface it was too cute. There was also a reef around there with numerous colorful fish, but I was there for turtles! Then back on the ship we set sail to return. Avast ye main sail!