Top 30 Experiences from a Semester at Sea: Here's what a 110 day trip around the world is like
I’m not the most outgoing person in the world. If you find me in a social setting, I’ll be the person that happily sits there silently until spoken to. With that said, there are a few things that, if you get me going, I won’t be able to shut-up about: soccer, travel, and Semester at Sea.
Consider yourself warned!
This week marks nine years since embarking on my semester abroad.
Wait, what?
That’s right; NINE YEARS since I stepped off North American soil, onto a ship, and straight into the unknown.
To be honest, it still feels like yesterday. I think part of me is still processing the experience all these years later. I never imagined that an introvert such as myself would thrive in an environment full of strangers, all the while circumnavigating the globe.
As it turned out, it was truly the journey of a lifetime.
To celebrate the anniversary of the Fall 2010 Voyage, here are the top 30 experiences from my Semester at Sea!
Browse the highlights by using the links below or feel free to scroll at leisure:
ITINERARY
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Cádiz, Spain
Casablanca, Morocco
Takoradi, Ghana
Cape Town, South Africa
Port Louis, Mauritius
Chennai, India
Singapore
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hong Kong
Shanghai, China
Kobe, Japan
Yokohama, Japan
Honolulu, Hawaii
Hilo, Hawaii
San Diego, California
SPAIN
1. Bull Fighting in Seville
Fresh off of a turbulent seven days at sea and ready to immerse ourselves in a different culture, we found our way over to the Plaza de Toros de la Real Masetranza de Caballería de Sevilla (talk about a mouthful). Little did we know there was a bullfight scheduled for that evening!
Did I stay past the first event? No, I did not. I opted for gelato over watching bulls die a slow death. Was I glad that I went to get the experience? Absolutely.
A bull chasing a matador in Sevilla, Spain
MOROCCO
2. The Train That Broke Down
The ship docked in Casablanca, but a group of us decided that we wanted to make our way to the Djemaa el-Fnaa market in Marrakech to get our first taste of bartering.
Halfway through the 2.5-hour ride, the train stopped. Stranded on the rails with nothing in sight, we passed the time by attempting to communicate with the locals in our compartment through charades, broken French, and awful drawings.
Miriam and Abdul have likely forgotten about the time they shared a seat with the crazy college students from America, but I still vividly remember the laughter that filled that day.
My roommate and I with Miriam on the broken-down train
3. Djemma el-Fnaa market at the end of Ramadaan
On a normal evening the market is buzzing with vendors and snake charmers. Clouds of smoke fill the sky with beautiful aromas from the food carts as music blares from all around.
Our trip coincided with the end of Ramadaan. I’ll always remember meeting a couple from the UK on the hotel shuttle en route to the market, a look of concern on their faces as we told them it was our first time in a place like this.
We stepped out of the van and stood on the sidewalk like a herd of deer staring directly into oncoming headlights. “It’ll be fine,” they said as we watched our new friends disappear into the chaos.
4. Haggling in the markets of Marrakech
This was my first experience of bartering and to put it bluntly, I was terrible. With that being said, learning how to negotiate a price, the acting skills needed to portray disinterest, and the guts to walk away from something I actually wanted - it was all thrilling.
GHANA
5. The Broken Down Van
The moment we stepped off of the ship, a group of us piled into a rickety van and drove 8 hours north to the village of Senase.
As the smooth pavement gave way to potholes beneath our wheels, the homes along the road vanished. All of a sudden the van came to a slow halt, moving only as far as gravity would take it.
The only thing in sight was a narrow path that led to a church. The driver caught a cab back to the closet village and we decided to wander the path while we waited.
The family that lived on the premises didn’t speak any English and we certainly didn’t speak their local dialect, but someone spotted a soccer ball in our periphery and that was enough to break any invisible barriers that lay between us.
6. Drumming & Dance Ceremony
As we prepared to depart Senase, the village had prepared a traditional drumming and dance performance.
The sounds of the beating drums, the vibrant colors, and the dazzling movements were enough to overload my senses. We were informed that it was our turn to dance for the village.
One minute I was sitting in a chair and the next I was making an utter fool of myself in front of hundreds of strangers. To tell you the truth, I loved every second of it!
Traditional drumming and dance in Senase, Ghana
7. Getting Soaked in the Back of a Truck
We whipped down the dirt roads of Ghana as I tried to take it all in with my eyes half-shut, shielding myself from the pounding rain while dodging overgrown tree branches along the way.
It was a rush of pure joy and remains one of my favorite parts about returning to Ghana.
SOUTH AFRICA
8. Climbing Table Mountain
I have an affinity for birds-eye views, so the second that we docked in Cape Town and saw Table Mountain rising high above the city skyline, I knew I needed to climb it.
We ended up hiking farther than required, but once we reached the summit no one cared. The sweeping views across the cape were worth it.
9. Visiting Robben Island
A humbling, sober, and powerful experience, to say the least.
10. Lion’s Head Peak at Sunset
Lion’s Head remains one my favorite hikes in the world.
Sure, the views from Table Mountain were spectacular as well, but reaching the peak as the sun dipped below the horizon capped off my South African explorations in the best possible way.
View from the top of Lion’s Head Peak in Cape Town, South Africa
MAURITIUS
11. Stranded in Grand Baie
One taxi driver, a major miscommunication, and hours of driving later, a friend and I found ourselves stranded in Grand Baie with no money left to make it to the ship in Port Louis. There was only one thing to do: take a swim in the Indian Ocean and enjoy the sunset! We made it back, eventually.
INDIA
12. Ganges River at Sunrise
I felt compelled to take a trip here the second I read about the field excursion planned through Semester at Sea. Why? I’m not entirely sure.
As our boat gently glided across the calm waters of the Ganges at sunrise and watched the local people cleanse their bodies along the banks, it all made sense. Serene is the only way to describe it.
Early morning scenes at the Ganges River in Varanasi, India
13. Driving a Rickshaw in Varanasi
My friend and I jokingly asked our driver if we could take a turn. Without missing a beat, he scooted to his right and made room for me in the front seat. It was the ultimate driving test: could I avoid the densely packed streets and roaming cows? Barely.
14. Taj Mahal
Usually I’ll try to avoid the tourist trail, but this was one experience I couldn’t pass up. I found a spot in the lush grass and simply sat and stared for what felt like hours. I’ll never forget that view.
The Taj Mahal in Agra, India
SINGAPORE
15. Playing with Monkeys
During a nature walk through the city’s forest we happened to stumble upon a family of monkeys waiting to steal food from unsuspecting tourists. The term “playing” is used loosely here, but nonetheless it was fun to watch these bandits carry out their business.
VIENTAM
16. Tourist-napped in Saigon
No, we weren’t actually kidnapped although it certainly felt like it at the time.
We knew that we could hire a boat that would take us along the Mekong Delta if we could reach the town of My Tho . What we didn’t know was that the taxi driver we hired from Ho Chi Minh City worked with a tour company and would take us straight to a boat dock, accompanying us the entire day.
We begrudgingly went along with the tour, plotting our “escape” as we went. In the end, we paid the guide to drive himself back to Ho Chi Minh City and continued wandering My Tho in search of our own adventure on the Mekong Delta.
It was worth it!
Cruising the Mekong Delta in My Tho, Vietnam
17. Playing Frogger in Ho Chi Minh City
It’s common to be taken aback by the sheer amount of motorbikes on the road in all of Vietnam, but especially in a city as densely packed as Ho Chi Minh.
The moment we thought we had mastered the art of crossing the road without hesitation, we learned of another version of the game: car vs. car.
As we rode in a cab through a torrential downpour, we couldn’t figure out what the tiny white lights in front of us were. It was only when our driver took a hard left that we realized we had taken an exit ramp onto the highway and had been heading into oncoming traffic.
In all likelihood, it wasn’t as exciting as this story sounds, but with the rain clouding our vision, it sure got the adrenaline pumping!
18. Hy Vong 8 School for the Deaf in Ho Chi Minh City
Semester at Sea did a phenomenal job of organizing service trips in nearly every port that we visited.
This was the first one I was able to squeeze my way into and I enjoyed it so much that I ended up visiting the school twice. We watched the students dance, chaperoned a field trip to the local zoo, and laughed so hard our stomachs hurt as we tried to learn sign language.
CHINA
19. Overnight buses
I stepped onto the overnight bus in Shenzen only to find that my ticket didn’t correspond with a seat, but rather a bottom bunk that came complete with a pillow and comforter.
Amazing.
Later on, when it was time for another overnight trip, I didn’t think twice. Another night spent falling asleep in a comfy bed while watching a movie in Mandarin, creating the plot in my own head? No problem!
Except for this time, my ticket led me to the back of the bus, into the middle row, and onto the top bunk.
I’m not sure if it was the sticky mat that served as my bed or the fear of being flung over the metal railings that were far too small to provide any sort of protection, but I didn’t catch a wink of sleep that night and I loved every second of it.
20. Cruising the Li River in Yangshuo
The Li River was one of the most picturesque landscapes that I have had the privilege of experiencing.
Surrounded by limestone cliffs that rose majestically towards the sky, we gently floated along with the current.
As beautiful as the mountains were, I’ll never forget the group of Asian tourists that passed us by and, in the process, gleefully sprayed our bamboo raft with water guns. Why? Your guess is as good as mine!
Floating along the Li River outside of Yangshuo, China
21. Entering Zizhou Park
The overnight bus had dropped us in Guilin at 5 am, so we decided to go wander Zizhou Park before finding breakfast.
As we reached the gates and realized it was closed, a woman appeared and offered to have her husband take us into the park via his raft. With nowhere else to go, we agreed.
Before we knew it, the three of us were on floating down the Lijiang River under the cover of darkness, accompanied only by a Chinese man puffing a cigarette and a dimly lit lantern that illuminated the way.
The park itself was beautiful, but entering before the sun rose above the horizon was the true adventure.
The man and boat that brought us into the park before dawn
22. Eating Our Way Through the Streets
Dumpling, dumplings, and more dumplings. Maybe this is the reason why I constantly find myself seeking out the best jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) wherever I go!
JAPAN
23. Sleepless in Tokyo
We took the train from Yokohama with one thing in mind: visiting the famous Tsukiji Fish Market and arriving early enough to watch the giant tuna auctions unfold.
In order to save money, we decided to migrate between 24-hour restaurants throughout the night. As the clock turned to 3 am, we headed to the market only to find a sign that read: “Today is a regular holiday.”
In the moment we were flabbergasted, feeling completely exhausted and disheveled, but that night is now one of my favorite memories.
I’ve been to Tokyo on one other occasion and again, the fish market was closed. What are the odds of that?
24. Feeding the Deer in Nara
Deer are considered sacred to the Shinto religion and, as a result, roam freely around the streets of Nara.
As with any other species that has had extensive contact with humans, it’s not uncommon for the deer to approach people in search of food (which is conveniently sold throughout the parks).
The result? Endless amounts of fun.
25. Yokohama F. Marinos Soccer Game
Japan is well-known for it’s rambunctious baseball games, but while most of our fellow sport-fanatic shipmates headed to the Tokyo Dome, we opted to attend a soccer match in Yokohama. The pageantry from the fans did not disappoint!
Fans of Yokohama F. Marinos passionately cheer their team on
LIFE AT SEA
26. Stargazing on the Observation Deck
Periodically throughout the voyage, the Semester at Sea staff onboard the ship would organize an evening of stargazing. As the Captain temporarily shut off the outdoor lighting, the sky was immediately illuminated with millions of stars.
27. Sunsets at Sea
It didn’t matter what the weather was; overcast, stormy, or even as sunny as could be. Each and every sunset was amazing.
Sunset in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
28. Crossing 0° Latitude and 0° Longitude at the Same Time
During our passage from Ghana to South Africa, the Captain veered in order to bisect the prime meridian and equator at the same time.
As the shipboard community gathered on the deck, we knew that as the ship’s horns bellowed across the open ocean, for a split second, we were indeed at the center of the world.
29. Early Morning Port Arrivals
Nothing quite brought the shipboard community together like standing outside on the deck at 5 am, huddling together for warmth as we all stared at the twinkling lights on the horizon.
It quickly became my favorite pastime throughout the voyage, each time eliciting a feeling of excitement and anticipation of what was to come.
Arriving in Cape Town, South Africa at dawn
30. Work Study
One of the many benefits of Semester at Sea was the vulnerability it took to build a brand new community within the confines of the ship. Between classes, roommates, clubs, and volunteering, there were plenty of opportunities to do so. I was fortunate enough to receive a work-study scholarship and had a blast helping out in the field office!
BONUS
31. Embarkation
The mixed emotions I felt - anticipation, nervousness, disbelief, excitement - as we departed Halifax and the last remaining visible piece of land disappeared below the horizon is what hooked me to travel.
It’s a feeling that I still chase to this day.
32. Diverse Faculty and Staff
Part of the allure to go on the Fall 2010 voyage was the opportunity to live alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah.
Needless to say, the entire 110-day journey was filled with “pinch me” moments as the Archbishop went about his business, casually fist-bumping students and spreading joy as he sauntered the halls.
I often contemplate what defines me as a person; what words or phrases might come to mind when someone mentions “Chris Toone.”
I’m confident that Semester at Sea is one of them. It not only opened my eyes and shattered my views of the world, but challenged me on a personal level in ways that I never could have imagined.
For that, I am eternally grateful.
Thanks for reading and as always, stay safe & happy travels!