life in the old lane

Real Time: July 31 at 0610 hours.

We will not even go into the trouble we encountered upon our arrival in Tokyo. The short version – the hotel could not be found, there was a driving horizontal rain, we killed 3 umbrellas in 20 minutes, soaked right down to the undies.

May the goddess bless Mazda. Much to the teenage person’s embarrassment, I marched into a Mazda show room and said in perfect English – I am lost. Please Help. And they helped. They couldn’t figure out the hotel map either. So, they made me a new, laser printer and hence semi waterproof map – wrote street names on it. Gave me an umbrella and sent me on my way. (The umbrella lasted about 5 blocks.) After about 10 blocks – I asked a cop for help. He said that we should have turned right down an unnamed street about a block back. We retraced our steps and that was it – within 10 more minutes – we found our little oh so french hotel.

Now some photos from yesterday. Yesterday was devoted entirely to watching the teenage person’s attempts to kick-start the Japanese economy by power shopping.

Tonight – big-time fireworks – if we brave the crowds and subway system – weather permitting.

Real time: Thursday July 29 at 0630

A few shots from yesterday’s layabout day in Hiroshima.

Overcast today. Will try to get us out of here sooner rather than later. We have a subway ride in Tokyo from the train station to our hotel. And, I really want to avoid being on the subway with our backpacks during Tokyo’s famous subway crush time.

Real time: Wednesday July 28 0630 hours

Some photos from the last couple of days.

Haven’t a clue what we will do today. The teenage person is getting geared up for 9 days of shopping in Tokyo. I have decided to buy nothing that I can buy back home unless it is way cheaper. Which means I don’t have much shopping planned. But, the old person can look.

Real time: Monday July 26 0630 hours

Selected photos from a lazy Sunday in Kumamoto, which is far off the western tourism track.

This hotel chain always has fried onion rings on Sunday morning. That would be fried onion rings, two kinds of soup – one with quail eggs. Tofu. Lotus root stuffed with hot mustard – that was a wake up call to the taste buds. A few green beans and carrots. A bowl of rice. Coffee, yogurt and a small roll.

I then left the teenage person to herself and her computer and wandered around town. I was tempted by $75 hair combs – but decided that the goddess would not be pleased if I spent $75 for a hair toy – and that she might show her wrath by visiting breast cancer and chemo on me. I settled for a perfectly fine $5 hair comb.

By mid afternoon, I hauled the teenage person away from the computer and out to see the castle. Where, we found some unknown festive event in progress.

The day was topped off by a visit to the the delightful communal bath, where they have washers and dryers – so all my clothes got clean along with me.

This morning – we will head to Hiroshima for 3 nights, then 9 nights in Tokyo. Then home.

Real time Sunday July 25 at 0630 hours

And why are we in Kumamoto – because it was the only place that had a hotel room on Saturday night. And, today is laundry day. A day when washing gets done – and since this hotel has washing machines – that will nice. This hotel also issues you snappy pajamas which you can wear to the onsen – they have 4 machines in the women’s onsen (that would be the communal bath) – so, you can wash everything you own – including yourself.

A few parting shots from Nagasaki:

The old person and the captains of the Russian sailing ships were all glad to have the teenage person safely away from Nagasaki and the Russian Pacific Fleet!

Am looking at a pretty cool castle out side my window – might just sneak in a little tourist action between laundry and soaking my person in the onsen today.

Real time Friday, July 23 0730

A few pictures before the teenage person pounces on the LAN connection. BTW – LAN really is better than cranky WiFi.

This is our last day in Nagasaki. We are moving on to Kumomoto tomorrow. Mostly because that was the only place I could find us a hotel room.

Real time Tuesday July 20, 0600 – Location Nagoya

Yes, there are pictures from Nagoya – but they are still in the camera.

Real time – Sunday July 18th 0611

The sun is out again today. Still things to see in Kyoto – so that is good. Did I mention that the teenage person is always all the time forever on the computer chatting and texting with her friends? At first, I was annoyed, as in “I am spending all this money for you to be online with your friends and watching TV?” Decided that it was a good thing – that way she tells her friends that she is “so bored” and not me.

Main event yesterday – Gion Matsuri – a festival which has happened almost every year since 865. Men drag very large “floats” with large stone wheels around town. Men carry smaller ones around. But, the large ones are the main event.

We were about 4 or 5 people from the front of the mob when I took this picture. Hold camera over head and click. Then crop. All of the big floats look sort of alike and they are all about the same size. As long as you do huge crowds OK – it was grand fun.

The teenage person dressed in the chic-est girlie manner in the cotton kimono getup she had purchased. The old person wore regular  limp and wrinkled old person travel togs.

Tonight – all the stuff gets repacked into the backpack and we go on to Nagoya for 2 nights. That will make 9 nights in fine hotels. After that it is back to what in Japan are called “business hotels”. I call them “Motel Six” hotels. In Tokyo, we are staying in a hotel that is owned by the company that owns Motel Six in the US. So, living large, with closets, drawers, chairs, extra pillows and a view (killer or otherwise) is coming to an end.

Real time: Saturday, July 17 0550 hours

The sun is out this morning. A very good sign.

Another good sign – yesterday the ATM machine, which had rejected me the day before, granted me cash. (After seeking assistance from the goddesses of the rice harvest.)

Yesterday, we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine a little ways out of town. According to my trusty French guidebook the Shrine is a 4KM path. Uphill. The path is paved and completely covered with vermillion Tory gates. The shrine (Shinto) is to one of the patron goddesses of the rice harvest. So, originally, rice farmers put up gates to insure a good growing season.

But now, people come to ask for more wealth. I asked for mosquito repellant and protection from Japanese encephalitis, as well as good luck with the ATM.

Big festival day today in Kyoto. I went to look at the “floats” yesterday while the teenage one went shopping. I plan on going to the parade this morning if I can get teenage person sprung into action soon enough.

Real time – Friday July 16 0619

Getting cash is a problem for every visitor to Japan. And in Japan cash is important – because almost no one takes credit cards. I have been able to pay for our hotels by credit card. But that is all. And yesterday my go-to card for cash was rejected twice by the heretofore faithful Post Office Bank ATM. So today, in we’ll have to keep an eye out for a 7/11 ATM – because the Post Office and 7/11’s are the only ATMs that will even consider giving foreigners money. It isn’t just Americans. It is Canadians and Europeans too.

Yesterday, while the teenage person visited The International Manga Museum, I sat out side and drank beer with a couple of nice boys from Netherlands. First topic: the rains. Second topic: where to get money.

And, from yesterday’s cultural visit.

Goodness the sun is shining…