02b_Kushiro16.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Kushiro city centre on the Kyu-Kushiro River
DSCN2592.JPG=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido - I just happenedto wake up during the night to see a brilliantly lit oil platform in the far distance.
02b_Kushiro.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Kushiro bridge is noted for its four bronze statues which depict the four seasons
05_Russia17.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum gardens
05_Russia25.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; Early life.
02b_Kushiro15.jpg=Kushiro - Fisherman's Wharf and also a nearby phone booth
02b_Kushiro17.jpg=Kushiro - Kyu-Kushiro river and the smaller cruise ship Nippon Maru docking. Seems it followed us from Yokohama.
05_Russia8.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - St Nicholas Orthodox Church
05_Russia27.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; A remnant of the Japan /Russian conflicts where theisland was divided. Thesestome markers showed the boundary marks. Carved in Japanese on one side, Russian on the other.
02b_JoyBirthday (1).jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Santa Fe dining room staff gave Joy a Happy Birthday cake and song
03_ShuritokoJoy1.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula. Masses of these birds;  look like Mutton Birds.
DSC_0586.JPG=Korsakov, Russia - on ourdrive back we saw many of the small run down Farm properties where people grew their own foods in times of great hardship.
03_Shuritoko1.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula. Masses of these birds almost touching the water while shadowing the ship; look like Mutton Birds.
05_Russia18.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum gardens
02b_JoyMob.jpg=Kushiro flowers
02b_Kushiro14.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Kyu-Kushiro river and the Fisherman's Wharf
05_Russia26.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; old morse sender and telephone.
05_Russia7.jpg=Russia - The 45 min drive to Sakhalinsk
DSC_0366.JPG=Eastern Hokkaido - Kyu-Kushiro river with the Fisherman's Wharf on the far side
DSC_0616.JPG=Korsakov, Russia - back to the Diamond Princess by tender. Strangely, the ship didn't anchor all day, instaed using the engines to hold her postion
05_Russia15.jpg=Square of Glory - a place of honour of fallen Russian soldiers in WWII
02b_Kushiro7.jpg=Kushiro - This statue and building looked like a seafaring tribute but all of the information was in Japanese so we'll have to Google it when we're back on shore.
05_Russia28.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; 1800's
02b_Kushiro2.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Kushiro city centre on the Kyu-Kushiro River
05_JoyMob.jpg=Square of Glory - a place of honour of fallen Russian soldiers in WWII
05_Russia6.jpg=Russia - There is very little to see in the small port town of Korsakov so we chose to do a tour to Sakhalinsk (the island capital)
05_Russia32.jpg=Korsakov, Russia - in the harbour there were many half sunken wrecks, seemingly waiting to be dismantled for scrap
02b_JoyMob2.jpg=Kushiro - At the Fish Market, clockwise - a box containing salmon eggs, fish, prawns and cod pieces; large King Crab; assorted crabs; orange Flower Crabs.
02b_Kushiro8.jpg=Kushiro - Century Castle Hotel. The castle reference wasn't immediately obvious until one looks at the top part of the building
02b_JoyMob1.jpg=Kushiro - At the Fish Market, frying fish tied around rice mixture, ready to eat, and packets of dried seafood in front.
05_Russia4.jpg=Leaving Korsakov, Russia - for our return journey to Japan
02_Kushiro6.jpg=Japan - Fog rolled in and eventually became very thick during the day at sea. Some guests though were still happy to sit near one of the pools to watch a big screen movie.
05_Russia29.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum.
05_Russia16.jpg=Square of Glory - a place of honour of fallen Russian soldiers in WWII
02b_Kushiro1.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - our arrival at Kushiro
02b_Kushiro9.jpg=Kushiro - Kyu-Kushiro river and very distinctive shaped Japanese fishing boats, this one a very wide bodied craft. Joy also thought the bollards reminded her of "someone" - left to your own imagination
02b_JoyBirthday (3).jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Joy's Happy Birthday cake and song
02_KushiroPan03.JPG=Japan - Fog rolled in and eventually became very thick during the day at sea.
05_Russia5.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia
05_Russia20.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum gardens
DSC_0511.JPG=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum
05_RussiaPan05.JPG=Korsakov, Russia - for our return to the Diamond Princess by tender
02_Kushiro1b.jpg=Japan - Eastern Hokkaido, and the Shiretoko Peninsula. The rising Mountains of Shiretoko is home to cliffs, waterfalls and is home to many species of seabirds, and kelp. Within the forest, deer, red fox, and one of the world's largest popoulations of brown bear can be found.
05_Russia3.jpg=Leaving Korsakov, Russia - for our return journey to Japan
02_Kushiro5.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - during dinner the fog rolled in again and for most of the night, the ships foghorn was sounding a long blast every 2 minutes.
02b_Kushiro5.jpg=Kushiro - Japanese fishing boats, colourful monofilament nets and a large winch for bringing traps up to the surface.
03_Shuritoko5.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula.
02b_Kushiro4.jpg=Kushiro - Japanese fishing boats. This one called "Ocean Runner", the same as our own boat at home
05_Russia12.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - everywhere, there were these distinctively decorated apartment blocks
02b_JoyBirthday (4).jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - Joy blowing out the candle
02b_JoyMob4.jpg=Kushiro - At the Fish Market, 1 and a half metre unusual looking shark with catfish whiskers in large fish tank.
05_Russia21.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; Animals
20160628_084105.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - St Nicholas Orthodox Church
05_RussiaPan12.JPG=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum gardens
02_Kushiro4.jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - the fog cleared around dinner time to a lovely sunset.
02b_Kushiro6.jpg=Kushiro - Kyu-Kushiro river and very distinctive shaped Japanese fishing boats and a Pacific Gull, the same as we see in southern Oz
03_ShuritokoJoy.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido - commencing our journey past the Shiretoko peninsula. Pacific Gulls
05_Russia2.jpg=Russia - Arriving at the port town of Korsakov; going ashore by ship's tender
05_Russia14.jpg=Square of Glory - a place of honour of fallen Russian soldiers in WWII
05_Russia30.jpg=Central Sakhalinsk, Russia
02b_Kushiro10.jpg=Kushiro - traditional tea making "ceremony".
03_Shuritoko6.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula.
05_Russia31.jpg=Korsakov, Russia - on ourdrive back we saw many of the small run down Farm properties where people grew their own foods in times of great hardship.
02b_Kushiro3.jpg=Kushiro - Kyu-Kushiro river and very distinctive shaped Japanese fishing boats
03_Shuritoko.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula.
02_Kushiro7.jpg=Japan - Thick fog and also the water in the pool was surging back and forth with the pitching of the ship.
05_Russia13.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - everywhere, there were these distinctively decorated apartment blocks
02_Kushiro3.jpg=Japan - Eastern Hokkaido, where the sea was getting moderately rough and the fog started rolling in.
02_KushiroPan01.JPG=Japan - Leaving Yokohama harbour, many cargo and container ships waiting to berth
02b_JoyMob3.jpg=Kushiro - At the Fish Market, live King Crabs; cooked crabs; fish heads for soup; assortment of fresh and dried fish
05_Russia22.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; Animals. The long eel-like fish (left pic) looks very much like the "Hairtail" that we occasionally catch close to home
05_Russia10.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - St Nicholas Orthodox Church
02b_JoyBirthday (2).jpg=Eastern Hokkaido - a few hours after leaving Kushiro, we had dinner in the a-la-carte Santa Fe dining room. We both had a Crayfish and Smoked Salmon starter and we were surprised when the crayfish was a small freshwater variety. Nowhere near as nice as the Red Claw that we catch and Joy cooks in garlic etc
03_Shuritoko3.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula. Masses of these birds;  look like Mutton Birds.
05_RussiaPan11.JPG=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Shopping complex, ice skate arena
03_ShuritokoJoy2.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula. Masses of these birds;  look like Mutton Birds.
03_ShuritokoJoyPan01.JPG=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula, Okhotsk currents
02_Kushiro2.jpg=Japan - Leaving Yokohama for the cruise north east
Collages.jpg=Kushiro - At the Fish Market, there was a "Lucky Dip" game of chance/skill machine to see if you could snare a live crab.
02b_Kushiro13.jpg=Kushiro - Kyu-Kushiro river
05_RussiaPan10.JPG=Sakhalinsk, Russia - outside the shopping complex, ice skate arena
03_Shuritoko2.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido - commencing our journey past the Shiretoko peninsula. Vieweing from the Skydeck lounge
05_Russia23.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; Animals
05_Russia9.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - St Nicholas Orthodox Church
03_Shuritoko4.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula.
DSC_0588.JPG=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Babushka dolls, the almost obligatory souvenir
02b_Kushiro12.jpg=Kushiro - Kyu-Kushiro river
05_Russia19.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum gardens
03_ShuritokoJoy3.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido -  Shiretoko peninsula. Masses of these birds;  look like Mutton Birds.
05_Russia1.jpg=Japan, Eastern Hokkaido - overnight we sailed away from Japan toward Korakov in the far south-east of Russia
05_Russia.jpg=Russia - Arriving at the port town of Korsakov
05_Russia24.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Sakhalin Regional Museum; Early life, with much of the clothing made from fish skins
05_Russia11.jpg=Sakhalinsk, Russia - Shopping complex, ice skate arena
02b_JoyMob5.jpg=Kushiro - At the Fish Market, flat fish like sole but with bug eyes on top of its head like a bullfrog; a fish that looks a lot like the stonefish we get in OZ.
02_Kushiro1.jpg=Japan - Eastern Hokkaido, where we had a full day cruising before arriving at our next port (Kushiro)
