Hawaii

Hawaii

Honolulu

The Big Island is home of the great volcano, Kilauea and the fiery home of the goddess Pele. The land around this volcano is sacred to Hawaiians. At Volcano, the town, and specifically at the actual site of the Kilauea’s crater the warmth and the sound of the moving land makes it seem very alive.... Pele’s cycles of eruptions bring destruction and new life as her actions spill lava into the sea. 

The nice woman who lent me her paddle board in Hilo

People living in Volcano, mostly artists and scientists, are very aware that destruction could come any time to their wonderful town and exciting, beautiful life. Because of the ongoing volcanic activity, Hawaii is growing. Still many kilometers under the surface of the sea, there is a new island forming. 

 After getting gas in Honolulu, we came onto Hilo for a day and I paddle boarded  for the first time.

Off for another long stretch on the Pacific with Costa Rica as the next stop.

Costa Rica, Honduras

Costa Rica……. 

Nineteen days after leaving Japan with a stop in Hawaii, we arrived in Puntarenas, Costa Rica’s main Pacific port.

Boat in the harbor, Puntarenas.

Living at sea for three weeks gives you a sense of the immensity of the Pacific Ocean. It was only on the last couple days before Costa Rica that we started seeing visible signs of ocean life. I saw whales, dolphins, and sea turtles from the deck of the ship as we sailed into Central America’s coastal waters. 

Wheel made by a local artisan.

Costa Rica’s west coast has the beautiful Manuel Antonio Park and we drove into the rich green mountains to see the town of Sarchi where colorful carts and wheels continue to be fabricated in the same way they've been for many, many years. Amazingly colorful hand crafts were a delight as was the mountainous green countryside seemingly untouched by urbanization and commercialism.

Sarchi's tradition of painting and decorating oxcarts started in the early twentieth century. Originally, each region of Costa Rica had its own particular design, enabling the identification of the driver’s origin by the painted patterns on the wheels.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, flowers, faces and even miniature landscapes appeared beside patterns of pointed stars. Annual contests were arranged to reward the most creative artists and are still held today.

 

On to the Panama Canal, then Roatan, Honduras, the second choice for stopping in Central America after the State Department said we could not go to Cuba for a last stop.

I went to a dolphin sanctuary and actually swam with the adorable beasts in the pouring rain which neither of us minded. 

Then off to Fort Lauderdale with a brief mid - ocean stop to allow Coastguard rescue pilots an exciting air pickup and transport for a student with appendicitis. Her rescue basket was expertly maneuvered up from the deck to the cockpit of the Coastguard plane and off they flew to a hospital in Key West. An exciting day before our debarkation in Fort Lauderdale with good results.

 

 

 

Panama Canal

Well....we traversed the Panama Canal-- sailing from the Pacific side for almost nine hours, when we came out on the eastern edge at the Caribbean Sea, we were, in fact, almost home.

 

Transiting the Panama Canal during the day the MV Explorer-our ship- positioned itself in early morning at the first of  five locks. It was predicted to be very hot and humid for the eight hour journey and possibly interrupted with showers and, in fact, it was just that. Luckily we are all still taking our malaria pills and have had the yellow fever vaccination but these issues were more of a problem for laborers who from 1904-1914 worked to construct this shipping conduit--the largest government sponsored construction project in the world.

The whole canal system is a triumph of genius and blood sweat and tears. Using only gravity, it takes 52 million gallons of fresh water to get a ship raised up and lowered through the 5 lock system. And ships who are positioned to begin the expensive trek---it will cost our ship over $100K to make passage from one ocean to another--- traveling at 2 miles per hour through the system.

Since the early 20th century the Americans have controlled the Canal and Panama. Historians say the US has always considered the Caribbean our lake. Nevertheless, in the 1970s Jimmy Carter decided that Canal should be turned over to Panamanians --- pullout came in 1999 and by 2000  Panama was in full control.

 

We just finished our transit from one sea to another and it is beautiful here ---a tropical rainforest with Panama City's skyline on the horizon. One of the students from my extended family asked why the Americans made this canal so narrow  - imagine what it took to dig mostly by hand this 10 mile ditch--- they are enlarging it as we speak so by 2014 there will be many more ships transiting through the system ----- An amazing experience.

Everyone has been celebrating our voyage and return home. We are almost there. And it is somewhat bittersweet --Tonight I have a Christmas/Goodbye party with my ship family and friends. We have made a bond that is impossible to describe and a cohort of new life long friends for which we all are so grateful.

Dining room staff

Mandi

Perry

David Yu

My family and Howard

Our English professor likened this incredible four month voyage to an Alice in Wonderland experience. Alice falls down the hole and finds herself in a completely unknown land--full of mystery and confusion. The Red Queen tells Alice she has to keep running to stay in place. We traveled around the world at about 20 miles per hour. Running often to just stay in the day, sometimes we felt out of control---finding our classes, understanding the new system of keeping track of the weeks--- A and B days not Monday, Tuesday and beyond. And even now we are still on A and B days. So many times we felt in and out of control---sometimes we knew the way -sometimes we were lost. Sometimes we had enuf money, other times we didn't. Sometimes we new the rules, sometimes we didn't have a clue.

Neptune Day Celebrant

For the last four months bizarre discovery has been the way of life.  And exciting adventures seem to take no time at all.

I will be home the night of the 14th and will look forward to seeing all of you soon! And  ....I have taken may pictures and will post them and other log entries when I can get Internet time -- my blog--susanstjohnatsea@blogger.com

And....... Kepler 22b --- a newly discovered planet has an average temp of 72....Imagine that!

Afterword

Just some things……

Exciting adventures and bizarre discoveries take no time at all!  For sure, consumerism does not bring happiness. The health of the middle class is key - Asian Tigers know this.  Abject poverty brings us all down. 

And always, it is art that gives us beauty, hope, a new understanding and joy!

Ai Weiwei

Succored by the South African principle of Ubuntu (my humanity is wrapped in yours), this superb voyage circumnavigating the world, connecting with cultures and people from so many countries opened our eyes, minds and hearts. The people we met with so little of their own, constantly gave what is most important – love. It was our life lesson.


Archbishop Desmond Tutu described Ubuntu as "I am a human because I belong. I participate, I share. In essence, I am because you are."


Much of the world already understands this principle and lives by it. For that transforming semester at sea and the beginnings of our global citizenship, we realized that we must rely on each other to lift our world from where it is now to where we want it to be in our lifetime.

Living by Ubuntu, our world has a chance.

 

At our closing convocation, Professor Huffman reminded us:  “To whom much is given, much is expected” ……

 I thought to myself …..May I be worthy of this amazing experience..... 

United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals: 2015

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Achieve universal primary education; Promote gender equality and empower women; Reduce child mortality; Improve maternal health; Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; Ensure environmental sustainability; Develop a global partnership for development.

“This new millennium in which we are living must be a millennium of life, not war, a millennium of the people, not of empire, a millennium of justice and equality.”  

Juan Evo Morales ( AYMARA), President of Bolivia

 A few of the Readings

The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future by Joseph E. Stiglitz

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela

The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Puc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War by Denise Chong

Ai Weiwei Speaks: Hans by Ulrich Obrist