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AROUND THE WORLD: The 2021 Option...PLUS

As the U.S. Senate is in session on this Saturday,  just had to chime in as to what is happening.  Initially it looked like witnesses would be called in this second impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump. Why?  Bipartisanship cooperation?

Democrats have somewhat been torn about extending this effort, for that would be to the detriment of the White House's wish to get pandemic funds to the masses and confirming department secretaries.  That's the cover story.  They have already decided, with Biden's okay, to wring out as much rubbish they can about Trump, for everything that has happened so far has hurt Republicans.

Republicans are in trouble, for they are currently split down the middle with pro-Trump and anti-Trump voters.  Why calling witnesses is bipartisan is that the Republican leadership (meaning minority leaders Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy) would need to come to a resolution that maintaining this current attitude will hurt their bid to overtake the House and Senate in 2022.  They need to cripple Trump to make him a non-factor for 2022 and 2024.  For their future, they want a more unified Republican Party only minimally influenced by Trump.  There now of course will be more to this new strategy.  The coming state court cases against Trump the criminal will now be reinforced by both parties.

What excuse could they use to call witnesses? At one time it seemed that Republican Congresswoman, Jamie Herrera Beutler, who has kept copious notes about what has been happening, could show condemning proof of how active Trump was during the insurrection on January 6.  

ABC News
@ABC
BREAKING: Rep. Jamie Raskin calls for subpoenaing Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler who tweeted a statement last night about talk she had with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy regarding former Pres. Trump's possible involvement in the Capitol siege. abcn.ws/3aXQwzQ

Democrats can easily subpoena this journal, but both parties might see value in protracting the proceedings and call other witnesses, too.  In retort, Trump's lawyers said they themselves have 300 witnesses.  That won't happen, but Trump it would have been interesting to see how this would unfold. 

However, proceedings went according to predictions, and Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate this morning.  Sixty seven votes were needed, and they voted 57-53, with the following Republicans defecting:  Mitt Romney of Utah, Bill Cassidy of Louuisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Richard Burr or North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.  Donald Trump can now run for the presidency in 2024, and the Republican Party is literally screwed in 2022.  Oh, Forbes reported that Trump net worth dropped $1 billion in 2020, or maybe it was only $600 million.

Shifting to the pandemic, for the resilience of this virus will determine if a Fall global option is possible.  This article from NPR was sent to me, and it's kind of long, but comprehensive, about all you need to know about vaccinations.  I would highly recommend you read it, for it delves into all the confusion, variants and like.
Speaking of vaccinations, I just saw a report from the Arcadia Family of Companies.  There are two senior resident sites, Arcadia, which has been operating for more than half a century, and 15 Craigside, around a decade old.  I didn't realize there were so many, but there are as many staff members as the combined number of residents at both facilities.  While only 88.5% of the staff took both Moderna dosages, 97% of residents did.   All precautions remain in place, as they should until the science allows for any return to normality, but ten days from now we will reach herd immunity.

Early reports indicate that, nationwide, only 78% of seniors' residents were vaccinated, but only 38% of staff.  Part of this lower staff percentage has to do with priorities, but most of them are considered to be minorities, and there seems to be a problem convincing non-white citizens to take the full dosages.  Something to do with mistrust of government.
In any case, there were 13 staff members of both AFC facilities who got infected with COVID-19 and two residents at Arcadia.  Amazingly, no resident of 15 Craigside contracted this virus.  If anyone out there wants to live in a safe facility--the security, too, for there are cameras everywhere--this is it.  I've been joking that I've been quarantined in a secure cocoon for a year now, but for the past six months we've been allowed to go out for golfing, shopping and whatever, but just be careful.  And we have.  You still can't visit me, but soon, I can show you around this building if you are considering where you would want to live for your final phase of life.  Let me know.

Now, shifting to my topic of the day, plans for the next global adventure, what about starting this Fall instead of waiting until January of 2022?  People today are spooked about traveling, especially on cruise ships.  This means, if any cruises actually occur, prices will be at an all-time low.  But we have already been vaccinated, so we are safe.  Most travel experts are in consensus that serious cruising will not occur until next year.   Yet, ships need to be positioned to be in the right port to make that first trip.  Thus, chances are that a few will be allowed to proceed to their starting point...so why not earn some money in the process and get the kinks out?

Possible itinerary:

  • Mid to late October--Star Alliance Business Class on Around the World Ticket from Honolulu to Tokyo. 
  • Bus to Yokohama  Marriott hotel (we headquartered at the Sheraton on our previous trip to Japan because the Diamond Princess was berthed close by) near bus station.  Additional info about this hotel.
  • One-week Japan Rail Pass in Green Car to see the Fall colors, taste wagyu beef and visit Japanese whisky distilleries, from Yokohama to Nagoya (so that we can stay in what must be our favorite hotel, the Marriott Associa at the Shinkansen station) to Sendai (for wagyu beef) to  Sapporo (fall colors) to Tokyo (Tokyo Westin, where I'll finish off my Nikka Yoichi in the Compass Room) and Yokohama.
  • Need to be back in Yokohama by November 4
  • Celebrity, 16 nights, unlimited drinks and WiFi, from $2274/person, but Veranda is $2849/person,  Concierge Class from $3000 ($188/night/person), Aquaclass from $3350 and the Retreat from $6000 ($375/night/person).
    • November 21  Singapore
  • November 21 and 22  Marriott in town.
  • November 23 and 24  Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (need early reservation to reserve room).
  • November 25  fly to Dubai (this will be leg #3 because the open-jaw counts as one flight).
  • November 25-30  Dubai  Marriott hotel to be decided.
  • November 26-29:  World Expo
  • December 1  fly to Munich (#4).
  • December 2 and 3  Munich  Marriott hotel to be decided.
  • December 4  fly to Basel (#5) and Marriott hotel.
  • December 5  leave Basel on a 10-day Crystal River Cruise ($6000/person now down to $3000/person).
  • December 14/15  arrive Amsterdam.
  • December 15-17  Marriott hotel.
  • December 18  fly to (not yet decided), but one example itinerary:
    • #5 fly to Frankfurt (mostly because only Lufthansa flies directly to South and Central America)  Marriott at the airport
  • December 20  
    • #6 fly to San Jose, Costa Rica (Lufthansa has a nonstop flight from 1:30PM to 7PM--Business class just for this flight costs $5927--and the whole Star Alliance around the world with 15 stops should cost $12,000--no direct flights to Rio, and the one to Buenos Aires leaves at 10:30PM).  Costa Rica is kind of boring, but safe.
  • December 23 
    • #7 fly to Newark (only non stop out of San Jose to U.S.).  Spend Christmas in New York City.
  • December 26
    • #8 fly to DC
  • December 30
    • #9 fly to Las Vegas
  • January 2
    • #10 fly to Vancouver
  • January 5 
    • #11 fly to San Francisco
  • January 9 
    • #12 fly to Honolulu
That ends the global adventure.  However, the ticket is still good for a few more stops to Singapore.  So a Cherry Blossom visit to the Orient might be worthwhile:
  • March 10  #13 fly from Honolulu to Auckland via Air New Zealand
  • March 14  #14 fly to Sydney, Australia
  • March 18  #15 fly to Singapore (it's possible that another stop is possible, but 15 is a safe number)
Then, you would need to pay your way back to Hawaii, possibly through Seoul and Tokyo.
  • Non-stop on business class costs $1100 Asiana on March 20 to Seoul.
  • NS on BC costs $360 Asiana on March March 24 to Tokyo.
  • NS on BC from Tokyo to Honolulu has a wide variety of costs
    • Hawaiian Air $1537
    • ANA  $5737 (which is also United)
  • NS on BC from Fukuoka to Honolulu at this time costs $1599 on Hawaiian Air.
  • One stop from Sapporo to Haneda to Honolulu in business class would cost around $1600 on Hawaiian Air.

Thus a follow-up Sakura business class trip in the Spring of 2022 from Honolulu to Auckland to Sydney to Singapore to Seoul to Tokyo, with two-weeks on the Shinkansen (Green Car--$600) would cost $3600, including train.  Of course there would also be food and hotel expenses.

- 

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