ARRIVAL ISHIGAKI

We arrived about 7 am to give time for the Japanese Immigration Officials to get set up before our official arrival at 8 am.  Cruise Director Kimberly announced a little before 8 am that all people on HAL tours leaving before 10:30 should now go to Immigration.  

As usual, the inspection was taking place in the MDR on Deck 3.  I wandered down to check out the queue, and it was packed – stretching back almost to the World Stage.  People were coming down the mid-ship stairs and trying to figure out where the end of the line was.  We had no specific plans so we were in no hurry to get off.  

Our Deck, Deck 8, was called at 9:56 am.  Then at 10:04, they announced the “final call,” and everyone should proceed to Immigration.  The line started around the Ocean Bar when we arrived but moved quickly and we were completed, back in our room in about 15 minutes.  We got arrival stickers in our passports.  This was the first stamp or sticker put in our passports for all cruises.  

BUS TO FERRY TERMINAL

A little before Noon, we headed to the dock, passed through customs after giving them our customs form and boarded a waiting shuttle bus.  A few taxis were available.  The shuttle bus ride to the Ferry Terminal took 10 minutes.  

The Ferry terminal sends ferries to outlying islands and was filled with local tourists.  A table set up in the center of the terminal had a sign offering help to cruise ship passengers.  An ATM was near the entrance and I withdrew 50,000 Yen for $347.  Changing the same amount on the ship would have been $361.  The cost at the official bank rate was $332.  I suspect that if I found an ATM outside the Ferry terminal, I may have gotten a better rate.  The machine gave me five 10,000 Yen notes, which is basically a $60 bill, but they weren’t hard to use, and everyone accepted the large bill without hesitation.  

Having a phone with Google Translate will significantly enhance your tourist experience and is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.  Google translate will help you identify snacks in the grocery store, menus, museum placards, store signs – you name it.  This, along with a map program, will allow you to explore with confidence and not be restricted to shops and stores with English menus and signs.  You have to download the languages while you have good WIFI before you can use them offline.  

We also use Pocket Earth, MAPS.ME and Google Maps, which will make your touring much more enjoyable.  They are all available for use offline if you plan ahead.  

TAXI TO GLASS BOTTOM BOAT

We asked one of the hosts at the Cruise Ship Help Desk about getting a taxi to Kariba Bay for the glass bottom boat tour.  He walked us out to the taxi stand and negotiated a round-trip fare to Kariba Bay (about 12 miles each way) and back for 8,800 Yen.  The driver would take credit cards but preferred cash.  I downloaded the Japan Taxi Apps DIDI and GOTAXI, which I would have used if the Cruise ship hosts weren’t available.  You could have also typed in “Glass Bottom Boat Kariba Bay” and got the job done.  

The drive to Kariba Bay took about 25 minutes and the driver pointed to the ticket booth where we bought out tickets for 1,300 Yen each.  The driver followed us inside to help with the purchase.  He drove us to the spot where we would walk down to the beach to catch the boats and showed us where he would be waiting for us after the ride.  

GLASS BOTTOM BOAT

The boats ran aground on the beach and lowered a boarding stair – one of the boat crew waved us over, and we got onboard.  The boat was soon filled with Japanese tourists, and we were on our way for the 30-minute tour.  It’s easy to see the fish and coral as we glide over the shallow bay.  The boat crew made announcements from time to time, but they were all in Japanese.  We spotted dozens of fish and a few turtles.  This was my first time in a glass bottom boat, and it was sorta like snorkeling, only you didn’t have to get wet, and you could move around more quickly.  It was hard to take pictures through the reflection on the glass.  

FU CHANPURU

We got back to the Ferry Terminal around 2 pm.  The last shuttle bus was at 3:40.  After checking out the rest of the Ferry Terminal, we headed out looking for an interesting restaurant.  Many of them were closed at this time of day, but we found one close by, Yaeyama Noodie and Country Dishes.  Once inside we were seated and given an IPAD sized tablet, with the menu in English, to make our selections and order.  We picked the local specialty Fu Chanpurū, which is a stir-fried dish containing vegetables, tofu, spam, wheat gluten, bean sprouts, and more.  There are several different versions, and you will find various choices.  Chopsticks were the only utensils available.  

By the time we left the restaurant, it was close to 3 pm so we decided to make a loop around a large city block and walk through Euglena Mall, which was several pedestrian only covered shopping streets – not the traditional mall you would find in the US.  We browsed thru several shops and picked up some Sata Andagi, which is a local treat similar to a fried doughnut hole.  Google translate was helpful to learned about the details of everything for sale.  

BACK TO SHIP

We got the last shuttle bus back to the ship.  The SailAway was moved to Deck 3 in anticipation of a departure ceremony, but with the cool weather and high winds – that never materialized.  

WORLD STAGE

Trumpeter Chaw was on the World Stage and put on a wonderful show – this time accompanied by the Grand World Voyage Orchestra.  This performance included Pick Up the Pieces, The Look of Love, Spain, When I Fall in Love and ended with Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk.