Disasters Everywhere...

There is an elephant in my room and I just want to talk about it.  As we travel and see so many things and I blog about it, life happens around us that affects us.  I chat happily about all we are doing and at the same time it feels like the world is falling apart and some of its people are very very angry.  It does not feel safe to travel or to be.  Something is happening.  I can't be the only one to feel it.  It weighs heavily and is constantly on my mind.  Although we are enjoying this cruise immensely, we seem to be followed or preceded by disasters, natural and man made. Lately,it seems,  these pop up at every turn.  Add to that a few personal issues and a world at or holding back a few wars. I am not liking it.

It started on January 13th when we boarded and David somehow hurt his back. Two months later, he continues to wish the pain will go away.  A very dear friend of ours has lost a loved one. 

Our first port on January 19th was Hawaii. One of our tours went to Volcano's National Park. On March 7th the Kilauea Volcano erupted spewing lava high in the air. Now the lava sparked a 75 acre wildfire.  The earth is angry. Hawaii is on fire and the lava continues to flow..

On February 13th we visited Christchurch and Lyttleton.  On February 21st, Christchurch was hit by a 6.3 earthquake killing at least 200 people.  I walked the Town Square and took a photo of Christchurch Cathedral.   Eight days later the huge earthquake caused massive damage to this Church.  When we toured Christchurch we heard stories of the earthquake of 2010, (7.1 magnitude), saw the town in the process of rebuilding, and saw some of the previous destruction.  We also saw hope for recovery and a coming back. We drove by a new stadium being built for World Cup Rugby, in September, a few months from now.  I even bought World Cup Rugby t- shirts.  Today, I just read Christchurch has been stripped of  World Cup Rugby this year.  The earth in New Zealand was splitting apart.


Hope from last years earthquake



Damage from 2010



rebuilding from EQ 2010

  
 

Our next ports were Brisbane and Townsville. Australia has been hard hit this year with rain, floods, cyclones and fires.  In these ports disaster preceded us.  Based on news reports of the flooding, I did not think we would see this port.  A month before we were to visit,  Brisbane experienced a once in a century flood. The city was shut down. Many were evacuated.  We took a riverboat tour on the river that burst its banks and flooded the city.  The water was still  high. It maintains the dark brown color of flooded waters. 



Tropical Cyclone Yasi hit our next port, Townsville,  3 weeks before we arrived.  It was a category 5 storm, similar to Hurricane Andrew and packed sustained winds of 155 mph.  Again, due to damage some tours were cancelled.  Flood damage and trees were still being cleaned up and cleared.  Our guide told us about personal experiences with the Yasi.  Australia was reeling from natural disasters.




 rivers still high from floods


  

Now Japan has just experienced a 9.0 Earthquake.  Thousands are dead and missing.  Homes and lives destroyed.  Nuclear plants are melting down.......  Man oh man...... Did Japan really move?  Did the earth axis really change?  Natural AND Man Made.
 

While in the Philippines we were one of 19 countries on Tsunami alert, level 2 for us.  In the Philippines we had a slight sea level change.  People were told do not go to the beach.  Some on the beach front (north and eastern coast) were asked to evacuate.   Our Captain had the crew on alert should the sea rise and we need to adjust the ropes.  We were 8 hours late in leaving because ships were in hold patterns during the warning.  We needed to gas up.  The ship carrying the gas to us could not fill or dock next to us as a preventative measure. We then missed the next port, Sandakan, Mayalsia.

 

While on this trip Egypt exploded.  Riots and demonstrations continue as protesters try to overthrow governments in the Middle East.

Wisconsin erupted, The 14 disappeared, and Rahm Emanuel was elected Mayor.....

Does China own us yet?

We were in Taiwan yesterday and we had a terrific guide.  He has a degree in tourism and is also an acupuncturist.  In his colorful banter we learned about history, culture, medicine, sports, ying and yang, Chi, and the prediction the world will experience a major Earthquake (huge disaster) on May 23rd  (25% of the world population will go), and more about the Mayan calendar.....  and 2012.  He was delightful, funny, well read, and educated.  I enjoyed listening to him.  He got me thinking.  Someone on the other side of the world, a different language, a different country, a different culture,  someone I never met is talking about things I too have heard or read about.  Hmmmmm.

Our ship is heading North... Japan is North.....David says we will be in South Korea, North of Japan, no worries.  Yes, I say but we have to go BY JAPAN to get NORTH OF JAPAN.... I can read maps.... I know the news can be over reactive, can sensationalize things.   I also know a nuclear meltdown can spew particles  into the air and spread for miles.... On our Captain's noon report he simply said  "Regent is monitoring the situation in Japan".  That's it.... Do we NEED to go to the DMZ ZONE???   I asked David....Can't we just head West NOW????? 

Well, not to worry.  When and IF we head West we get to wave to our Somalia pirate friends from my balcony.  Then if the Suez Canal is open, we get to go by war ships and wave to our Lybian friends as we head to Egypt, Israel and Jordan.  Before I left the States I sent my sister an article (for fun)  from some "out there" religious group. They were carrying signs saying the Mayan calendar is wrong by a year.   Hey, this is similar to what our Taiwan guide just said... Something huge will happen on May 23, 2011.  I wrote to my sister.... this is one day after our first visit to Jerusalem..... Meant to be? Strange?  Silly?  I wonder....

I don't know.  The World and events in it seem to be erupting all around me in all kinds of ways, none of them good or positive. I am worried.  I get nervous.  I can't do anything about it...  Good news right about now would certainly be a most welcome change.