Hiking in Hong Kong

Hiking along Dragon's Back.

In Hong Kong, I acted as a trip liaison for the first time on this voyage. Semester at Sea appoints a trip liaison to be the leader of each field program. The trip liaison is a go-between for the student participants and the tour guide, ensuring that the day runs smoothly, and is also in charge should a safety or security situation arise.

I was a bit nervous to be a trip liaison but it turns out, there was no need to worry. I had a wonderful day and a great group of students who made the field program a success.

Twenty-five students and I went hiking on Dragon’s Back in Hong Kong. I love Hong Kong because you can be in one of the most cosmopolitan areas in the world and 30 minutes later, you can be hiking up a mountain surrounded by trees in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. The balance of having both the city life and nature close by is wonderful.

I’m so glad I did this field program. Not only was it great to experience being a trip liaison, the field program was also very relaxing. My time in China was very busy so being able to get back into nature was just what the doctor ordered. Plus, what great views!

Here we go on Dragon's Back Hiking Trail.

Views during our hike.

My lovely hiking group.

View during our hike on Dragon' Back.

Another curve ball…damn you, China!

Yesterday, we arrived incredibly late to Shanghai because our pilot boat did not show up to help the ship navigate up the Huangpu River. The pilot boat’s tardiness dramatically affects my job in the field office and therefore, the last 48 hours have been a bit tiring and stressful.

My job in the field office is two-fold because there are two types of in-port experiences offered by Semester at Sea called field labs and field programs. Field labs, which are my primary focus, are opportunities for a faculty member to take their students on excursions related to the coursework. For example, an International Trade course may visit a Nissan plant in Yokohama, Japan. Field labs are included as part of tuition and each course has one field lab.

Field programs are for-purchase, additional excursions that are not required. Many students travel independently in-port but if a student doesn’t want to worry about planning, they can purchase Semester at Sea field programs in which arrangements such as flight, hotels, the itinerary, etc., are pre-planned and included in the program fee. Field programs are open to the shipboard community and I’ll be completing a few SAS field programs in Vietnam, Burma, Cape Town and Ghana.

Our day spent anchored in the Huangpu River was dubbed “river day” (like a snow day) and was basically a lost day. Lost in the fact that many travel plans had to be cancelled including the plans for 7 field labs and 5 field programs. Therefore, my day yesterday was spent calling off field labs which included local hosts who were waiting for the M.V. Explorer’s arrival in Shanghai.

Shanghai skyline during our dreary visit.

Day 2 in China was a big day as well because we had a number of large overnight field programs departing Shanghai. Unfortunately there was a snow storm in Xi’an, a destination for 2 of the overnight trips, and I was on-call for the day to assist the tour operator in making alternative arrangements. Everything turned out fine but this was not how I planned to spend my one day in Shanghai!

I was able to get off the ship for a few hours, which was enough because the rain was still coming down full force and it was about 40*. Not ideal for exploring a city on foot, but the dreariness allowed for some great photography. I love the way the Shanghai skyline lights up with the backdrop of fog and haze. My lungs may have suffered a bit because of the population in the air but I’ll take it for the opportunity to take in this (literally) breathtaking site.

After a quick lifeboat drill tonight, we said farewell to Shanghai and are now making our way back up the Huangpu River to travel to Hong Kong. Let’s hope I have better luck work and weather-wise in Hong Kong than Shanghai!

Shanghai skyline.

Shanghai skyline with fish-eye effect. I love this feature on my camera.

Shanghai skyline. Taken from the ship's 7th deck.

Flower art in Shanghai.

Chinese curveball

On the evening of February 5, I went to bed thinking that when I woke up I would be in Shanghai, China. I had prepared myself to throw open the blinds and see the beautiful Shanghai skyline. On the morning of February 6, I woke up and saw this:

Where are you , Shanghai?

Gray skies. Gray water. Gray ships off in the distance. No Shanghai skyline. I thought “the ship must be docked in a fashion so that I see out onto the water rather than overlooking the skyline.” I went up to breakfast in the Garden Lounge, which has picture windows throughout, and no Shanghai skyline could be found. Hmmm…

It turns out China threw me a curve ball. After spending 4 months studying abroad in this crazy country, I should have known better than to think our arrival would run smoothly!

Docking in Shanghai is difficult because in order to get to the pier, the ship has to navigate up the Huangpu River. The pilot boat was supposed to arrive around midnight to help steer the ship safely into the city.

Well, the pilot boat didn’t show up until after lunch-my guess is the pilot boat drivers had a long night with some good baijiu and didn’t feel like getting up in the morning. Steering the ship safely into Shanghai took about 6 hours so we arrived right around suppertime in a driving rain storm. Although the weather was cold and wet, I got some great shots of the Shanghai skyline.

This photo was taken while I’m standing outside the faculty/staff lounge on the 7^th deck-what a view, right?!

Immigration took around 3 hours to complete, so 13+ hours behind schedule I finally stepped of the ship and into China for the first time in 5 years. Where did I go?! Straight for a drink with some of the other SAS faculty and staff. Much needed after a long day of anxiously waiting!

 My trip in China is off to an interesting start. Wonder what else China will throw my way?!

View of the Shanghai skyline from the Bund.

This photo almost looks fake but it's real. No editing or anything, just Shanghai lights and fog!

Why 27 before 27?

London, Spring 2007

I've gotten a few question regarding the title of this blog, "27 Before 27." The title of blog stems from my goal to visit 27 countries before my 27th birthday in July. Now, am I starting at 0 countries and plan to visit all 27 countries this spring while working with Semester at Sea? The answer is no. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to study abroad twice during my time as an undergraduate at Central College. I spent one semester in London, England, and one semester in Hangzhou, China. In addition, I also completed a short-term study abroad program during my graduate studies at SIT.

Spending a whole academic year abroad in undergrad and traveling again during grad school has allowed me the opportunity to visit many places. So, wondering where I've been? Here's my list, in no particular order:

(1) Canada, (2) Mexico, (3) England, (4) Scotland, (5) Ireland, (6) France, (7) Spain, (8) Belgium, (9) the Netherlands, (10) Norway, (11) Italy, (12) Switzerland, (13) China, (14) New Zealand, (15) Australia, (16) Costa Rica, (17) Barbados, and last but not least (18) Trinidad and Tobago.

SIT Spring I Term in Barbados & Trinidad, Spring 2013

Here are the new countries I'll add by working for Semester at Sea this spring:

(19) Japan, (20) Vietnam, (21) Singapore, (22) Burma, (23) India, (24) Mauritius, (25) South Africa, (26) Ghana, and (27) Morocco.

China, Fall 2008

Now, I don't put these lists up to boast about my travel experiences. In fact, this might be the first time I've ever publicly stated how many countries I've visited in my short, nearly 27-year-lifetime. The reason I don't mention "my list" is because I've been told in the past that it makes me look like "a rich, white girl who traveled around Europe on Daddy's dollar." (This is an exact statement told to me by another international education professional and it has forever scarred me because it is far from the truth.)

The reason I put up this list is because travel is my passion. I caught the travel bug while studying abroad in London and never looked back. Some people ride motorcycles, some are foodies and others prefer the outdoors and hiking. I travel.

So if you enjoy traveling as much as I do, I hope "my list" motivates you. It only takes one small step and you're off on your next adventure. What's the next place on "your list" and when will you go?

Need some ideas? Check out travel lists like this one (I scored 32). What's your score?