船駛出溫哥華島/莊峻華

船駛出溫哥華島/莊峻華

日落時，珠寶號駛出溫哥華港，進入溫哥華島內海，這是一有趣

之通道，當年航海家沿太平洋海岸北上，俄羅斯皮貂商，從阿拉

斯加海岸南下，如今世界郵業者，夏天在此佈局，提供遊客，欣

賞此絕世美景。此內海在溫哥華島和美洲大陸間，南從西雅圖港

開始，經過此內海，直通阿拉斯加之安可路治港，迷惑渡，在西

雅圖西北之惠特比島，我去過好幾次，這是內海之南端，溫哥華

船長初發現此島，心生疑惑，因有此名，如有興趣者，可參考我

當年遊記。

郵輪介紹途經一18公里長，750米寬之窄道曰，西摩窄道，這是

內海通道之一特景，據曰通過海潮速在15海里，浬，我未知覺，

因珠寶號是9萬噸重舟，時速可達25浬，我是重舟輕渡萬叢山。

郵輪利用夜晚行駛，海上日，則可以坐在餐廳，圖書館，和七層

甲板大廳等，觀賞輪船前進，如此令我深覺幸運，我也喜歡搭乘

火車，抑或開車旅行，走馬看花也，各有異趣，惟郵輪最為舒適

，比直升機安全，日本之新幹線，也甚愉快，令我憶起我之現在

，實在歸功於當年，搭乘火車，從鄉下到台北讀書。

13層甲板，有高爾夫摩擬練習場，這是老船特色，自從上次珍珠

號，巧遇黃石公，真傳幾招，我已可輕易擊中小白球，聲音清脆

，挺直飛出，我又開始想到節省多少練習費，一日揮桿兩次，約

省10美元場地費。

天晴隨時有人注意鯨魚出沒，船長室也有值勤者，隨時通報，我

攜有簡易望遠鏡，這次真派上用場。我常郵輪旅行，而且認上許

多年輕貌美，認真工作，甜美有禮之義女，郵輪經常輪調各船，

所以我每上船，都可遇見家人，現在有些男職員，也來相認，郵

輪很多活動，我也每次重逢老友旅客，非常愉快，無所謂船坐過

，抑或地方去過，都是有趣之旅行。

The U.S. Presidential Election 2020/Carlos Pueblo

The U.S. Presidential Election 2020/Carlos Pueblo

Both parties have begun their campaign, the incumbent Trump for his

re-election fund raising while the Democrats on their primary competition.

I have voted for the Democrat all my life and I have seen enough of Trump;

therefore, I shall point out several issues which interested the Democrats

potential at the primary, National healthcare, Student loans debt forgiveness,

Equal pay for woman and the immigration, and the Reparation for slavery.

The cost of healthcare is one of the top list of issues in our life. Living in the

U.S. without health insurance is a threat. I have just come out of the un-insured

status when I have enrolled to the Medicare. Suddenly, my life has been changed.

Amy needs to wait two and half years to be eligible for Medicare while both of our

grown up children have their coverage through their employers. We make a decision

not to purchase the Obamacare due to the cost and to keep her grandfather major

medical instead to avoid tax penalty. Basically, she is a self-insured person. I don’t see

any way that the U.S. can afford any kinds of national healthcare system, yet I do see

one candidate attempts to lower the eligible age of the Medicare from 65 to 60 and

expand the Medicaid eligibility broader, the annual income test.

The college loans forgiveness is very popular for some progressive Democrats, at

least I have seen two dominant candidates. The number is estimated to top 1.7

trillions. I don’t know how the current U.S. Federal budget can afford it. Every one

is affected by the loans default, the banks, the C.D. and bond holders, and the

governments, etc. There are winners on this issue, the defaulted borrowers, the

college, and the banks. I don’t believe that is a valid issue and it is very hard to

believe that we can solve it. The defaulted needs to file bankruptcy and let all

involved go through normal process.

The Reparations for Slavery and the discrimination issue have been raised especially

during this Trump administration. On the Reparation part, I don’t know how and how

much? At least half of the voters won’t support it. I am interested in the slavery issue

of the old world like in Chinese classical novel. It has taken several generations to

abolish slavery in China yet there is still slave labor existed in China. I don’t think that

this U.S. generation is more determined than several generations before us. I check

the issue on google and the compensated emancipation pup up. It is different between

reparation and emancipation yet both issues come from slavery. I travel to the Caribbean

often and I always have a question to myself, the better off or the worse off? To solve

the difficulty of the world poverty is really on the education opportunity and the healthcare

for all.

 

  

美國總統大選2020/莊峻華

美國總統大選2020/莊峻華

明年美國總統大選，已經開始，民主黨候選人，已經開始分兩組辯

論，有限時間內，已經開始討論到幾項議題，我對民主黨人看法，

較有興趣，而且我自有投票權後，一直都投民主黨，因此多加申論

，我先提幾項議題，如全民健保，赦免學債，全球暖化，性別待遇

等項。

健康保險，是美國居最大威脅，因為醫藥費昂貴，身體健康如我者

，一直到進入老人保險，始喘出一口氣，有人主張全民健保，但都

未說服如何支付？錢從何來？然而民主黨政府，是有幾項德政，像

貧民保險，由州政府籌措財源，聯邦補助。有幼年健康保險，就是

給學齡無健保兒童之健保，另外，就是歐巴瑪健保，這是低收入者

之福利，聯邦政府補助低收入者買保險，就是把貧民收入提高一些

，保險費打折，這次，明尼蘇打州參議員，想辦法將老人健保年紀

降到60，同時擴充補助貧民健保，我覺深富意義。

學債過大，大學生畢業後，無法償還，有人主張扣公司和高收入者

所得稅，這是美國幾近一半選民，投票共和黨原因之一，美國大學

，像社區學院，基本上費用甚低，無錢人就將就些，住家通勤，那

裡來私立大學？不過是幫助這些學校而已，這些錢不如幫助天生殘

障者就業，抑或渡過有意義之人生。我失業那年，剛好兩子女，開

始讀大學，他們都讀州立大學，我覺得學貸利息太貴，我用儲蓄，

提供所有費用，女兒大二開始，就有獎學金，暑期見習，碩士前半

年在外實習，領全薪，借如此巨額學債，而不能工作，令人費解。

全球暖化，我之涉獵不深，我相信燃煤污染空氣，世界人口澎漲，

也增加二氧化碳，環境之保護，和生態之維護，聯邦需要投資。

性別待遇，種族岐視等，都是社會常態，我甚樂見民主黨有人，揭

櫫而起，金錢賠償黑奴後裔，美國尚無此財富，也無法清點人數，

有人如此建議，我也如此聽聞，美國政治精彩，國家又富強，有許

多人觀看欣賞總統選舉。

Re-visiting Birmingham, England 2019/Carlos Pueblo

Re-visiting Birmingham, England 2019/Carlos Pueblo

After arriving Birmingham New Street Station, I walked out toward the

Bull Street Market to get some fruit, vegetable and chicken bone for my

chicken soup later. This was what my experience from last year’s stay at

the same hostel. Bull Street Market has an open air vegetable market with

one British Pound for one unit fruit and the same amount for vegetable such

as mushroom or tomato, etc. Inside the covered meat market, there is some

left over chicken body 4-7 pieces for a Pound. It is the best bargain for me to

budget myself in England plus I always like and know how to cook the chicken

soup, a vegetable combination included mushroom, tomato, cauliflower,  etc.

This time, I didn’t have someone to help me eating it; therefore, I had to dispose

most of the meat. Usually I make a noodle soup or eat with bread crust.

Like Manchester, Birmingham is famous for the role in the Great Industrial

Revolution. There is a very complete network of canal inside the city. My main

Purpose is to visit the canals and understand how they work. The transportation

use of the canal is rare; however, some leisure barge, the house boat, can be

seen on the canals. It is a small single engine propel the boat slowly and manual

handle to pass the lock. I can see the difference between the urban and suburban

area canals. It’s more costly I imagine to maintain the canal especially that the

canal is not in frequent usage; therefore the fund to maintain is scarce even in

a big city like Birmingham, yet the canals are basically sound.

Marching down the canal path is much simpler and easier than on the regular

city streets, not very much traffic and you’re mostly by yourself. Mute geese

and ducks are on the water surface. It is very good looking when they fly over

your head. After a briefly attempt to follow the walk tour of the city at the

Jewellery Quarter, I entered the canal to begin my 4 day manoeuvre.

A couple were passing through a canal lock and I watched. He husband and the

wife were taking turn between the lock and the boat. One took the key, a ranch,

to unlock the horizontal bar and back push the wood bar to open the water gate

to release the water from on basin to another to make it even. Another one stand

at the end of the boat to control bar behind like a wheel to monitor the position of

the boat and slowly move to pass the lock. Afterward, the one on the lock needs to

move the wood bar to close the gate. I didn’t see she did anything with the key

thereafter. They answered me many questions about the canal. I did visit the Royal

Regent Park Canals in London where they lived in a big house boat community later

on my visit of London.

重返英國伯明罕市/莊峻華

重返英國伯明罕市/莊峻華

火車駛入伯明罕市之新街大站，我熟練之領著小行李，走向公牛街

之露天市塲，買三小袋水果和蘿蔔，一小袋都是一英鎊，然後走入

室內市塲，買一袋雞骨，提著行李背包，邁向近珠寶區之客棧，此

客棧有一廚房，非常方便，去年我在此停留五日。我來英國原因是

星航之機票特價，我選四週期內，原擬其間安排郵輪旅行，但未如

願，剛好從巴拿馬運河旅行回來，又在曼徹斯特市，參觀許多工業

大革命，留下之運河，於是重畫行程路線，將伯市，牛津，倫敦，

劍橋，和里治市列入，都是英國運河網區城市，後來因早到倫敦，

不見玫瑰花開，將里治行取消，從劍橋趕回倫敦，再住五天。我在

伯市四日，每天都在市內運河行軍遠足，實際觀看河船過水閘，也

偶爾走出運河，參觀三座大學，非常有趣，將詳細報告。

英國物價高昂，我有對策，像在曼市，我就過午不食，下午三點後

，食畢一呎素三明治，然後就禁食到翌日凌晨早餐，所以體重減輕

，口將吐出一隻鳥來，到了伯市，我知道有廚房，有菜市，於是我

添置食材，燉香菇雞湯，拌麵條或麵包皮，一解幾日口饞，但因雞

肉過多，需要拋棄，有違我節約習慣，後來我又回到素食。

我在逛過清晨珠寶區後，就走下運河階梯，伯明罕是工業大革命中

之工廠城市，許多運河網，圖上標誌不顯，但每一陸橋，都有出口

街名，有些地方，也有座椅，上廁所則需要走出街上，剛開始走出

街道，我就設法走回客棧，因陸面街道，交通繁複，步行不便，第

一次後，我就走回運河，繼續行軍。

伯市運河網，和我剛離去曼市近郊運河公園有異，因運輸用途式微

，無法投資維護，顯見差異，河岸上若有商業用途，則有較好碼頭

，船也有維護。我在一處遇見一對夫妻，駛船經過水閘，我就分別

請教行船知識，他們居倫敦，皇家攝政王公園附近，其船齡約三十

年，仍像嶄新，船可載七位旅克，過一水閘，耗時三刻，需要輪流

操作，一人開水閘鎖，推開水門，另一人在船偉操控，後來在倫敦

，我也看到有單人操作者，就是閘船間奔走，十分有趣，英國人有

此運河概念，幫助工業革命，後來之蘇彝世和巴拿馬兩運河，都是

歐洲工業革命之遺留產物，連美國都受影響。

Visiting Acapulco, Mexico/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Acapulco, Mexico/Carlos Pueblo

The ship left Guatemala for two night and a day to reach Acapulco, Mexico

for a regular stay. Acapulco, the full name is Acapulco de Juared, is a famous

resort city for the North American and I have heard the city ever since my

arrival of the U.S. Large city like Acapulco is similar to Texas cities such as

Houston and San Antonio, etc. We can communicate with the local in both

English and Spanish, enjoy eating local Mexican foods. What I had visited of

The portion of this city was very limited, a small fort in adjacent to the port,

some part of the old port town, and the coastal street to the pier.

Across a busy street from the pier, there is a nicely managed fort park now

a museum called Museo Historico de Acapulco de San Diego. It is on a small

hill with canons set up to watch the Acapulco Bay. The Museo is the main

attraction with plenty of green lawn and mango trees with full tree of mangos.

I like mango and very fond of the tree. I did find many ripe mango on the

street fruit stands available to be purchased. I ran into a couple from the State

of Pennsylvania who sit on shared tables several at the big restaurant. We ran

into each other at the park and separated and met again at the street corner

thereafter. She was a graduate student at Penn State under Professor Parris

Chang in the late 80’s and I read Chang’s column on Newsweek Magazine when

I was in Taiwan. We did have some chat about him.

I exit the business streets of the port area and reached to a busy highway which

I believed to the famous resort area such as beautiful beaches and the jumping

cliff. I turned around and followed the coastal avenue back to the ship. There were

more and more business activities around. I took more of the mango trees. A couple

of the Jehovah Witness ladies stopped and chatted with me for one and half hours.

There was a street dog lying on the ground to be our company for bible study. I

have met so many JW stands all over the world of my traveling. They are devoted

to the religion. Previously, some of them visited my house and I always invited them

inside and asked them, especially the youngsters if they worked.

My daughters on board always ask me where I have visited. I can’t go very far because

of my strength and the toilet issue. I have missed many commercial tourist area; however,

I have shaped up my idea of travel that I can only visit some part of the world which won’t

Bother me very much of the cost. I am very frugal.

船靠墨西哥阿卡波口港/莊峻華

船靠墨西哥阿卡波口港/莊峻華

船離瓜地馬拉北上兩夜一日，風平浪靜，這就是中美濠溝，船靠阿

卡波口港，全名應是華瑞斯之阿卡波口，這是在美國甚為馳名之別

墅城市，許多演藝圈人士喜愛，幾十年前，初來美國，居停家庭中

，三公子臥房，就有一大觀光圖片廣告，也未想過，幾十年後，能

能親蒞其境，剛當保險代理，經理有獎，招待我們遊巴業塔港，我

藉台灣護照未被承認，婉拒此行，改領獎金，此港就在同海岸線北

，是墨西哥箸名別墅城市。墨西哥市就在阿港東北不遠之高原上。

 一下船，過馬路就是一古城堡，現在是一歷史博物館曰，聖地牙哥

春泉博物館，庭院巨大，高牆城堡，維護甚佳，碧草如茵，又遍植

芒果樹，果實累累，想到採收，不覺垂涎三尺，我仔細查看每株下

，是否有落地成熟果實？城堡上遇見一對船上相識之夫婦，從賓州

來，太太曾是賓州大研究所，張旭成教授之學生，剛好我住意政治

，因此與她有共同話題，其夫為退休高中生物老師，甚喜天文，釣

魚，摩托車，運動等，興趣多方面。

走出城堡，就是城中心，繁榮店面，我在一轉角，再度碰到此對夫

妻，我隨他們到一超市，但又在店內走散，我又走上街道，沿著海

岸街，走回郵輪碼頭，在路上遇見兩對耶和華見證會教友，我一直

留有美好印像，在全球旅行，經常是我問路，解惑迷津者，我也樂

於請教他們，我對聖經之誤解，他們都非常耐心，但我仍就希望了

解，人神之間的關係，上帝為何造人，使人有不同際遇？例如膚色

和同性戀，我們站在馬路旁，談了聖經一小時半，一隻街頭愛犬，

躺在路旁，全程陪伴聽經，我有拍照為證。