Seventh Fleet

Umbrella girls

In the Philippines, you pay an umbrella girl $7 to walk around with you and keep the sun out of your eyes all day. It's a good thing because it is very hot and the 'fairway' is mostly sand. The girls wake up early and come to the golf course with their umbrellas. So did I get one...?

Her name is Althea and I chose her because we have the same Birthday.

Umbrella girls. The whole concept makes me laugh.

Umbrella girls also function as stellar ball finders.

Tim and Maricris

Yup, goats.

Today in the bay. Philippines

Those things in the water are CRRCs (Combat Ready Rubber Craft- pronounced "cricks"). They are loaded with Marines and came out of our stern gate about ten minutes before this picture.


Doc Kim and me. On the ship....

Subic Bay, Philippines

Out to dinner at a Korean resturant in Subic Bay

A few shots of the Essex leaving Subic Bay

I like this picture because you can see the Harriers in the distance on the deck (They do vertical take-offs and landings ... you may remember from the movie True Lies).

Ship pictures from Manila, Philippines

Manila in the morning from the ship. That's not morning fog, by the way- that's smog.

USNS Tippecanoe with the USS ESSEX in the background during an RAS (replenishment at Sea).

A better shot of the Tippecanoe. She gives us fuel and food so we can stay at sea longer without pulling into foreign ports.

A few more Singapore pictures

7atenine. It used to be our favorite nightspot in Singapore before they got rid of all the specials. It's still got a nice view.

High Tea on the top floor of the Equinox.

Million Years Stone and Crocodile Park - Pattaya, Thailand

This Tiger was not pleased.

Josh shaking hands with a bear

Yikes

They really wanted that chicken

Walking Street - Pattaya, Thailand

Just a few photos from walking street...

This little girl was following Whitney around for a while...

Whitlow and I on a baht bus. They are pick-up trucks with benches in the back. You jump in the back when you need to get around and jump out when you are done. You pay the driver whatever you feel they deserve for the ride. 20 Baht is customary for falang (white) foreigners (about $0.70).

I love the Ronalds in Thailand. They are so appreciative.

Elephants at the park - Thailand

A few friends going to the park to see the animals.


After feeding the elephant some bananas, he decided he liked me.



He was obsessed with trying to get Whitney's beer.

Nagano and Hakuba

After Niseko, we took the train back to our van and then drove to Nagano, which is about half way home. We rented a hostel at the bottom of Hakuba, which was where the 1998 olympic ski events were held.

Starting at Nagasaki and going all the way to Hokkaido, our trip brought us the entire length of Japan.