Palimo

So after the quick tour of Vietnam, I was off for the most intense and amazing trips I have been on up to this point. This was probably the most extreme trips I had been on because each day was packed with things to do plus a quick flight. It was also pretty draining because late nights plus early mornings equals me being really tired. But it was also one of the coolest and emotional trips because of the amount of things I was able to see. It started off with a hour flight to Phnom Phen, the capital of Cambodia. After are arrival, our group was whisked off to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. This was pretty cool because we actually arrived at the palace at the same time as a royal meeting ... read more

Well this trip is just flying by at this point because it is already time for another blog post. I just left Thailand two days ago and I am already preparing for Vietnam because we do not have a lot of time in between ports until after Japan. But back to Thailand. I chose to go on a really big SAS trip to Phuket and Bangkok for my time in Thailand. So after a long days travel the first day, we finally reach Phuket, which is a large island off of Thailand. Phuket had some of the most beautiful beaches I have seen since the Bahamas. After an evening of wandering the beach and the night markets, I went to bed to prepare for my ocean canoe trip the next day. After an early start ... read more

The country that I have been most surprised by thus far has definitely got to be South Africa. S. Africa was one of the countries that was added when they changed our itinerary after the Somali pirates incident. I must say, when I first found out about this change, I was kind of disappointed. I had never had a strong urge to visit Africa and I was going to miss the Egyptian pyramids because of this change. So I signed up for a four day safari and just hoped for the best. We finally arrive in South Africa and we pull into the first really nice port since Spain. There were shops, tourist companies, and food courts. It felt a lot like being at like Disney World for a while. But as you went farther into ... read more

We have just left Morocco and I can hardly describe the amazing, and almost other-worldly, experience. But before I get to Morocco, I have to explain our interesting arrival. First of all, we lost a day in Morocco because of a storm in the Straits of Gibraltar, where we were attempting to refuel. I say “attempting” because the seas were so rough that the refueling station was just too difficult to dock to. The rough sea had a lot of people a little freaked out, but I enjoyed the ride. I will say if you have to get stuck somewhere refueling, make it Gibraltar. The city on this rocky island made for a nice view and was amplified at night by the city lights and the lightning outlining the mountain. We also had some fun on ... read more

So, we have been at sea for about nine days now, and I think I am one of the few people on the ship who are not losing their minds. I love it out here. Reading for class is so much better when you can go out on the deck and watch for marine life (One dolphin and one whale sighting today). I have met some really nice people who will provide a good group of friends to hang out with and I am still enjoying meeting all the new people from across the U.S. Classes are fun and interesting. One of my professors reminds of the English professor from The Dead Poets Society (I think that is the right movie). Food is decent and the addition of cheese squares can make any meal better. We ... read more