The Story Behind My Chair

Those of you who have visited us at our home have probably wondered about "my chair". It doesn't match any of the other chairs at our dining room table and looks oddly out of place. There is even masking tape around one of the armrests and it looks worn out but comfortable. No one (except our cats) is allowed to sit on it.  In fact, one time, a solar voltaic salesman came in and without even asking, just sat on my chair.  Needless to say, I did not buy the pv system from him!

The chair belonged to my father and he sat on it at the original George's Meat Market in downtown Hilo. But the story is better told by our son, David. We printed the story on a poster and hung it above the chair that was located just inside of the entrance to the market. Many of our customers would stop and read the story and some even started to tear up as they either remembered my father or thought about their own family's simple legacies. Thanks to Judy's insistence, I brought the chair home. Here is David's story:

The Chair

My most vivid childhood memories revolve around the family business. My family moved to Hilo when I was four, because that is where our roots were. Hilo was home, and after years spent in the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, Mom and Dad wanted to move back to their hometown, where I could grow up close to my grandparents. Grandpa owned George’s Meat Market, which was then on Keawe Street, across from the old Woolworth’s building and the Palace Theater. This was where I spent many of my boyhood Saturdays, being generously overpaid for cleaning up and doing odd jobs so I could go off with the other kids and play pinball and Pac-Man at Woolworth’s. Downtown was different then, a thriving bayside business district alive with the smell of teriyaki and fishcake from the Okazuya’s, fresh cut flowers from Ebesu’s Florist, and the shampoo from Lorraine’s Hair Salon. Small businesses buzzed with walk-in traffic, selling everything from televisions, musical instruments and clothes to fishing supplies, pachinko machines and pets.

Our market had been a fixture in Downtown Hilo since 1949, when Grandpa and his business partner Douglas Uechi opened D & G Market on Keawe Street. When Mr. Uechi moved back to Okinawa with his wife, Grandpa continued the business and George’s Meat Market was born. The shop was a hole in the wall. Its marbled evergreen tile floors were darkened from many years of foot traffic, for this was a store that had known many faces and many stories because each one of Grandpa’s loyal customers was like a member of our extended family. Two showcases displayed fresh steaks, chops, and hamburger, and more exotic local items like pig’s head and the unforgettably aromatic leaf tripe, which Grandpa’s Filipino customers loved. Behind the counter, Grandpa George cut an imposing figure, standing with a broad ten inch butcher’s knife which he wielded with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. He was a hardworking, honest businessman who believed in making each customer feel like they were the only ones that mattered the moment they stepped into the shop. It was easy to look up to the man, because to me he represented everything that a man should be. It was there that I had spent my childhood summers sitting in a Miko meat box with a string “belt” tied around my waist emulating my grandfather’s apron string and befriending the locals who lived in the boarding rooms above the Market. It was there that I would learn the most valuable lessons of life …..work hard, treat people the way you would want to be treated, do things the right way and know the value of family.

The market is the embodiment of everything my grandfather stood for and it became for me, not just a family business, but a living, breathing part of the family. This is probably why it was so hard for my dad to let go when Grandpa finally retired and sold the business in 1982. In the months that followed, Dad would go down to the Market and help the new owner and was soon asked to become a partner. By the time I was in intermediate school, my parents had bought back the other shares of the Market and were the proud owners of my Grandfather’s legacy.

“When Only the Best is Good Enough.” Our business philosophy is predicated on providing the kind of service that simply isn’t available or possible in larger chain stores, and in offering our customers premium grade beef, pork and seafood. Grandpa never cheated anyone and never took any shortcuts. This simple philosophy is the cornerstone of our business. Over the years, we have had a variety of signature products, ranging from the smoked pipi kaula from the old days to the popular line of Heat and Serve items loved by college kids and seniors on the go, to the Oven Ready Prime Ribs that have graced local tables every holiday season. Whether grilling with friends, cooking for the family or preparing that “special” meal, the common denominator for the more than 70 items in our product line is the confidence our customers have in knowing they made a quality purchase. No shortcuts. No games. Just honest to goodness quality from a knowledgeable, service oriented staff, backed by a family with three generations of experience. For over 50 years, George’s Meat Market has had this commitment to the customer.

I was in college in 1990 when we closed the doors of the original downtown store and moved to our present location at 28 Hoku Street. As we cleaned out the downtown store and began moving the equipment out, I could not help but see the ghosts from an era long since passed. For a brief moment the excitement of moving was replaced with a strange longing…..it felt as if we were saying goodbye to something that could never be again. It was like saying goodbye to Grandpa. Staring into the empty room that had once been the main cutting area, the original store still retained its folksy charm for me. I remember wondering, would the new place be able to retain the essence of the original? Would it have the same character? As I watched my parents put the final touches on the new building, I knew they would succeed in their new endeavor, realizing that everything my grandfather had worked for would not be lost or forgotten….it was simply being transplanted. When Mom and Dad opened the doors of the new market, I could feel Grandpa with us, sitting in his chair that we brought with us to the new Market. Proud, happy and ever watchful over us.

PS: Chu Chu Lei worked again. I spent hours looking for this story, going through many backup CDs. Finally, as i was loading the last CD, I said the magic words. How you figgah?

New York and DC

Thursday and Friday, September 20 & 21, 2012:

Judy stayed up to midnight last night so she could try and get a free first class upgrade on Hawaiian (Hawn offers each Platinum customer (40 K + mi/yr.) coupons for two first class upgrades to the mainland). We tried getting it 7 days before (the maximum) and 1 day before. Both times, we were told that seats were not available going to NY but there were seats coming back. However, they would not let us redeem the coupons until 7 days prior to the return flight. It was then that I found out that they are a 24/7operation.

When JJ called after midnight, she got the two first class upgrades coming home and was told that they had 1 seat available going to NY and to check with the ticketing agent when we get to the gate to see if I could also get an upgrade. We thought they meant the Honolulu agent but when we checked in at Hilo, the premier/first class line was busy so another agent, who was our classmate, waved us over to the regular line. He told us that he was moving JJ from row 1 to row 3 so we could seat together. How lucky!

After experiencing first class on Hawn., my opinion is that if I had to pay, it is not worth it. Here’s why:

• The seats are much bigger but we are not big people.
• The seats are softer but we have our air cushions.
• The leg rests are not that helpful. They don’t go high enough and they are too small to fully support my feet. I ended up not using the leg rests and just placing my feet on the floor.
• The food was ok but not exceptional. We had a choice of two hot items, braised short ribs, salmon or pasta. I selected the short ribs and pasta. The short ribs was enjoyable but the pasta was really bad. For breakfast, we had a Kalua omelette, muffin, a hash patty and assorted fresh fruits. They were all ok but my hash patty tasted sour.
• We still had a hard time sleeping, although traveling eastward was probably the main cause.

We caught a cab from JFK to Manhattan. The fare is a flat rate of $52.00 plus tip. It took about an hour as traffic was pretty bad. The driver was pretty polite. Even when he rolled down the window to tell another driver to move his car, he did it without yelling or swearing.

New York is very depressing. Especially in town, where the streets are narrow and the buildings tall, creating a very dark atmosphere. It is also very dirty.

The bus to DC was about 30 minutes late. The line and waiting area was very chaotic. We even had to load our own baggage. The good thing is that it gave us all a chance to sleep. By the time we got to our hotel, about 4 hours later, it was perfect as we could check in.

The hotel is very old and elegant. It has a lot of history behind it. The rooms are also large. We ate an early dinner at the hotel and the food was ok, but not great. I had a steak cooked French style with a Bearnaise sauce which I would describe as “pedestrian”. Service was also pretty bad. We asked if we could get separate checks and he said ok but then didn’t follow through. After we got the tab, I got tired of waiting to pay so I went to pay for it myself. This was one of the few times that I left only a 10% tip.

The sales tax here is really high. 8.8%. Hawaii’s 4% is really a bargain.

After dinner, we took a walk around the area. There is a lot of beautiful architecture but when I see it, it feels visually overwhelming. While there is a lot of merit in masonry buildings, as shown by the many old structures seen in the area, the European style of architecture does not really appeal to me as it is just too “busy”. Don’t get me wrong, it is elegant looking. But I find the simple line and form style of Japanese style much more visually pleasing. Think Shoji screens or roof tops in Japan. But to be fair, even in Japan, many of the municipal buildings are gaudy, European looking buildings.

The girls found a food court and they all ended up getting their desserts of either Gelatos or smoothies.

Interesting side note: I could have worn shorts and my “fish” t-shirts and not feel out of place. A lot of people dress casually.

Saturday, September 22, 2012:

JJ and I overslept. I guess we are getting acclimated to the eastern time zone really fast.

We ate breakfast at the Marriott next door. The highlight was a compote that had green mango on Greek Yogurt and a dash of sweet syrup (compliments of the chef). Very creative and tasty. The bacon was a bit too sweet without the traditional smoky, salty flavor. The hash browns were very tasty, not even needing ketchup to flavor it. JJ’s bagel was well, just another bagel. They did feature Starbuck’s coffee which was a big plus.

Thanks to Senator Inouye, we got passes to visit the White House today. They don’t allow you to take anything inside except for a phone, keys and wallet. No camera, purse or even water. No public bathrooms either.

The White House tour was basically boring, being comprised of furnished but otherwise empty rooms. They looked really faded and sterile. They reminded me of Japan castles where the grounds are much more fascinating.

The most interesting thing that I saw was a fully armed policeman outside, walking on the grounds. He was armed with a very formidable looking assault rifle.

We then went to the Smithsonian American History Museum. The most interesting thing I saw was a sugarcane knife used by Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. It wasn’t as broad as the ones I remember using or seeing when I was little.

In general, I found most of the exhibits to be boring. I have a great fondness for electrical and mechanical devices. There were many, but all they did was sit there. With today’s technical availability, it would have been much better if they used computer simulations (or any other media) so show how the different devices worked. It’s funny as I don’t have the same expectations with airplanes because they are so sleek and beautiful looking, like mechanical art.

We ate lunch at the cafeteria, which seemed themed. I had southern BBQ chicken. It was tasteless and almost completely devoid of flavor. It had a nice heat to it but boy was it bland. Even the skin! JJ had a pulled pork sandwich with baked beans on the side. It ended up being a $31.00 lunch with our drinks (not beer either).

We then went to the museum of Natural History, which featured the Hope Diamond. The display didn’t do the diamond justice as the diamond’s size was not really apparent. It was also very difficult to photograph.

It was there that I had my senior moment. I either lost my strobe or someone stole it. My bag is so deep that even unzippered, it is almost impossible for anything to fall out. And I could specifically remember the last shot I took, which was the Hope Diamond. I even remembered asking JJ to hold my camera while I put the strobe back into my bag because I remembered putting it in upside down. So we checked with security, retraced our steps but NOTHING. I told JJ that if it’s returned, then I messed up. But if it’s not, then someone stole it. But who would steal a Nikon strobe?

So we’re back at the room and I asked her what were her mom’s magic words whenever she misplaces something? She said to say “chu chu lei” three times. Well, what is there to lose (I mean besides my dignity)?. So, I say it, three times, TWICE. I decide to put off calling lost and found to give the magic a chance to work.

So, we get ready to go to the night time tour. As we are walking to the meeting place, I open the main section of my camera bag and lo and behold, my strobe is there! Chu chu lei works…..or I’m delusional and not remembering things right. Growing old is tough.

Speaking of growing old, less than a year ago, I could walk around with minimal pain. The bottom of my feet would hurt, but I attributed that to my wearing shoes at home, all the time, making me a tenderfoot. So I vowed to start walking with a back pack and barefoot to build up stamina and toughen up my feet. Well, no sense in doing it now. My right ankle hurts. Not enough to stop me from walking, but just enough to make my walking uncomfortable. My doctor thinks it’s gout that is aggravated by my drinking beer, but he can be wrong sometimes.

You know, my old doctor was much better. He would ask me, “do you drink?” I would say, “yes, about 6 beers a day”. He would say, “not bad”.

Then he would ask, “do you smoke?” I’d respond, “about a pack a day”. He would say, “not bad”. I miss that guy.

We went on a tour that was free, where the guide only works for tips. We had to pay for the bus, which was $19.00 each. A regular nighttime tour is about $50.00/person. JJ and I enjoyed the tour. The guide was knowledgeable but some of her speech mannerisms was starting to drive me crazy. She would always say “umm”. She also got her degree from HPU on Oahu. I got a lot of great shots of the monuments. Although the savings were minimal, the tour was still enjoyable and convenient as the meeting place was close to our hotel.

After the tour, we asked her if she knew a place that we could get a meal. She suggested a pub across the street. The food was passable, food and beer reasonably priced and the service outstanding. Great place to go.

It’s 12:34 a.m. here, making it 6:34 p.m. in Hawaii. I feel a bit tired but not quite ready to sleep. Hope the beer works to put me to sleep.

The doors are thin here. Just heard a bunch of people talking as they passed by our room.

Sunday, September 23, 2012:

We decided to sleep in. We ate breakfast at the “Corner Bakery”, a place that our friends found yesterday. The food and coffee was good and was a good bargain.

By the time we were ready to start our adventure for the day, it was about 12:00 noon.

Our plan was to use the hop on and off bus to get to Arlington, Iwo Jima, Viet Nam and the Lincoln Memorials. But as we saw most of the memorials at night, it didn’t make sense to me to catch the trolley as it would cost us about $160.00 to $200.00 for the four of us. That’s a lot of cab fare. Turns out, the total cab fare was less than the trolley fare would be for one of us.

When we first got into a cab, we told the driver that we wanted to go to the visitor center in Arlington. He said he didn’t know where that was so to catch a cab that was across the street. When we got into the second cab, the driver told us that the reason the first guy didn’t understand was that Arlington is a big place and we should have said Arlington Cemetery. So I told him the people in Hawaii only know of Arlington, as a cemetery and we didn’t realize that it was other things.

We spent most of our time there. The history behind it was really interesting and the son in law of the original owner, Robert E. Lee, was really a man of honor. It is that honor that made him resign his commission as an officer of the North and join the Confederate Army.

The Kennedy family graves were all very small and humble. It must be embarrassing for the families of others in the cemetery that have relatively ostentatious headstones as compared to JFK and his brothers.

The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier was really impressive. I can still hear the clicking of the heels and the cadence of the guards’ footsteps.

Thanks to the suggestion from the Concierge at the hotel, we caught another cab to Iwo Jima, and asked him to wait for us. Good thing as I didn’t see any empty cabs waiting for passengers. We then continued on to the Lincoln Memorial. The things that we wanted to see again were the Washington Monument reflected in the pool and the Korean War Memorial. Both looked different during the day.

We then walked over to the Viet Nam War Memorial. Such a senseless war that caused senseless deaths to many of our generation. I can’t help but wonder what greatness to our society could some of those men have contributed?

After we got back to the hotel, we went to a Latin festival across the street. The music was LOUD and the street was busy but the crowd was quite subdued and just enjoyed the music and atmosphere.

The food vendors were really busy, with very long lines. We ended up eating at the same place as last night, Elephant and Castle. I had a Crabcake dinner and JJ had a NY steak. We shared the dinner and the combination was quite good.

This trip is not even close to what I had anticipated. I expected BIG CITY, CONCRETE, RUDE PEOPLE. So far, only NY was a big city with concrete. DC has a lot of open spaces and we have not met any rude people yet, although I did come across a couple of sour pusses (guests) at the hotel this morning.

Monday, September 24, 2012:

I awoke at about 12:30 last night and my usual trick of listening to audio books did not work. Some noises from the floor above, that sounded like footsteps on a wooden floor, awakened me. After that, I could hear doors closing, taps on the wall, etc. I think that this hotel may have spooks. Noise kept on going until about 3:00 A.M. BTW, our room, and I assume all rooms in this hotel, are carpeted.

We caught a cab to the Capitol for our tour. Our guide really made the whole tour super enjoyable. She was a tiny and charismatic black girl. She seemed to have a phenomenal memory and refers to herself as a nerd. She could make a lot of money being a guide on the outside. So sad to see her talent wasted on a government job.

Before the tour started, we saw a movie about how congress works (or should work). They talked about many people with many different needs and ideas finding common ground for the betterment of the country. Maybe they should show this movie every morning to the congress before they meet.

After that, we split with our friends and went to the Air and Space Museum. I was very disappointed. The Boeing Museum in Washington and the Chino Museum in California were much more enjoyable. The Boeing Museum even featured the Wright Brother's plane much better with a clear explanation as to why it was so important to aviation. And Chino had so many more interesting exhibits and we even got to hear an old F-86 Sabre start up.

We bought lunch from a lunch wagon that sold hotdogs. We paid $14.00 for two hotdogs and two bottles of water. Later on, when JJ was buying some Omiyage from another location, I went to check the lunch wagon next door. The same purchase would have cost us $11.00. Lesson, if no prices are posted, ask first. I don’t know if we got ripped off purposely or accidentally.

On the way to the National Archives, we saw an outdoor garden. So we meandered in and saw some really nice works of art and a neat fountain. Once we got to the National Archives, they wouldn’t even allow me to take a picture of the “No Pictures Permitted” sign. I ended up waiting for JJ at the end. Boring :-(.

We continued our walk to Ford’s Theater. I didn’t realize that John Wilkes Booth was an actor that performed that night. It seems that he even made some angry remarks (as part of the performance) toward Pres. Lincoln during the play.

We then walked back to the Museum of Natural History to retake some of the pics of Dinosaurs that JJ wanted. We also saw an exhibit of the greatest wild life photos. They were all awesome. Super large and sharp too.

JJ and I ate dinner at the same place again and ordered the same dishes as last night again, Crab Cake dinner and a NY steak. Again, the service was excellent and the food good.

Tomorrow, we head back to New York City. Washington DC has been great and we really enjoyed our visit. We’d love to come back here with our twin grandsons and our son David, who teaches history.

I can’t believe how much we walked today. But, it was a very pleasant walk as the air was cool, the winds soft and the stops educational.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012:

We had to get up early as we needed to check out about 8:00 A.M. and head for the bus terminal at Union Station.

The bus ride back to NY was nice. Got to nap for most of it and also catch up with some reading.

When we got to NY, we got a cab to our hotel. I got the address of the hotel mixed up and although the driver was a little peeved, he didn’t make a big deal out of it. So much for the nastiness of New Yorkers. So far, they are no worse than locals I’ve seen in similar situations. But even then, I don't know why he even made any comment as both addresses were on the same block.

The Mayfair is a very old hotel. But they seemed to have done quite a bit of renovations so the AC and bathroom look quite modern.

We split up for lunch as I saw a Ramen place. It was pretty much what I would get in Japan, delicious dashi (soup base) and the noodles not as tasty as I used to eat in Hilo. They offered bamboo shoots as a condiment so I added it on for $3.00 more. I didn’t care for it as it was pickled. For those of you who haven’t tried it, fresh (not pickled) bamboo shoots, like tofu, will pick up the flavor of the food that it is cooked in.

The girls went to the Olive Garden, which kinda shocked me but for two of them, they never visited that chain. While they were eating and I was enjoying another cold one, I saw this guy soliciting money. At first I thought that he was a crazy bum, but then he had an official looking table and collection box. It surprised me that in this large, large city, not even one person stopped by to give him even pocket change. So I asked JJ for all of her change, I added mine (perhaps all of it up to less than $6.00) and put it in the box while he was talking to someone. When he turned and saw me, he was really thankful. We spoke for a few minutes and he told me that I would be blessed, as he is blessed for trying to help others. After we returned to our hotel, we were told that the staff couldn’t figure out why our room rates were so high. So they discussed it and decided to reduce our rate (from $1000.00+ to less than $600.00 for two nights). Wow, remember, this is New York City, where people are supposed to be pushy, mean and not care about anyone else. Big eye opener. And I guess I was blessed.

After lunch, we walked down to Times Square. We were surprised as it’s really small. They had the street blocked off by Police and many people were just sitting around. We asked this guy what everyone was waiting for and he said that people were just relaxing and enjoying the ambiance. The Times Square Ball is really small, not at all like on TV.

While JJ was looking at the board for discount Broadway Plays, I saw a black couple taking pics of each other. I asked them if they wanted me to take a pic of them together. After that, we started talking and the guy played football with Merv Lopes and his brother in college. They were a really nice couple. They came from California. His wife told us an interesting story about how her co-workers at Bank of America thought that she married a white guy because the area that they live has only five black families.

We went to see the play “Chicago”. The first half was ……well, I’ve seen better. But the second half was FANTASTIC! Wow. Great mix of songs, dancing and humor. Before the play, JJ bought some Tekkamaki from a store nearby. It was really good. Even the Nori had a nice flavor. But it could have been because we brought our own Shoyu, Kikoman, of course.

We ate a snack at a restaurant across the street. It ended up being a dinner as I ordered a New York Steak with Tellichery Peppercorn Sauce and JJ had Scallops.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012:

After breakfast at the corner bakery, we went to the Greyline office to get our tickets and start our 6 hour tour. The tour did not stop at too many places, drove by most and included a ferry tour to the Statue of Liberty and lunch at an Italian restaurant. I ate the best spaghetti I ever tasted in my life. And that includes JJ’s specialty spaghetti with Ume and meat sauce! All in all, it was worth the $58.00 each for the tour.

While on the ferry, I thought that someone had stolen my camera bag with my strobe and extra lens. I think someone mistakenly thought it belonged to one of their group as while I was walking toward the tour director to ask him to make an announcement, I spotted the bag along side someone’s purse, so I simply picked it up.

Viewing the skyline and the Statue of Liberty from the ferry is really awesome. Seeing the statue really made the tour worthwhile.

We decided to see another show tonight. Got tickets from one of the street vendors. Paid $115.00/ticket which is not really cheap but I wasn’t about to stand in a long line to save a few dollars. The name of it is Peter and the Star Catcher. The guy said it was his favorite play and the other guy working with him agreed.

The play, which was co-written by Dave Barry, was a bummer and was aggravated by very poor audio (or no audio) system. I was dozing off the first half and ended up listening to my audiobook the second. When it was over, I was tempted to give them a standing ovation as my torture was finally over. It was 2.5 hours of misery. The others don’t share my opinion.

We had our late dinner at a Ramen place. Funny part was that the waiter would ask everyone if they wanted change, even though one of us paid for an $11.00 tab with a $50.00 bill. His momma must have dropped him when he was little .

Well, it’s been a great trip. All of my apprehensions were for nothing. We met mostly nice people. As far as NY city goes, I like the area that we are in but many of the other boroughs seem a little uncomfortable to be in. But that is probably because we have not had a chance to be immersed in that area. The trip would have been perfect if we could have made a stopover in Vegas, spent one more day in Washington and/or saw the Niagara Falls. But, considering the flight time, I’d rather go to Japan, even flying on coach.

Kyushu June-July 2012

Kyushu

June 2012

Thursday & Friday, June 28 & 29:

You’d think that after all of our traveling, everything would go so smoothly and we wouldn’t forget anything, especially when we each have an itemized travel list.  As soon as we got on the plane to Fukuoka, I realized that I forgot our air cushions.  Fortunately, the aircraft was a Boeing and not an Airbus.  The flight was over 9 hours long.  It went quite quickly as long as they had a movie on.  They featured two Japanese movies, with subtitles that were hard to read as the screens were small and not bright enough..

We quickly went through immigration and customs.  We then exchanged our travelers checks into Yen.  The rate is really bad, about 78 Y to a dollar.

The hotel is quite nice, very near to the train station.  The have a very sophisticated key system.  Apparently, the have a RFID embedded in the plastic card key.  You need to pass it over a reader to go up in the elevator and just touch the reader with the key to enter the room.  It sure beats swiping or inserting the card method used at other hotels.

We ate dinner at an old fashioned curry place.  It was a bit too sweet for my taste but was ok.  JJ had a Katsu Don bowl.  I think she enjoyed the free Rankyo more.   Watching the lady cook was very entertaining.

In addition to forgetting the air cushions, I found that I also forgot my film canisters to hold my coins.  I do this to separate the many different denominations of Yen coins to make paying for items easier.  Oh well, back to the right pocket –left pocket system.

Using our home wireless network at the hotel is working out quite well.  I did this as JJ’s Ipad does not have an Ethernet port.  Plus, the wifi is secured.

Saturday:

I got up at about 4:30 a.m. Japan time.  This is great as it is 9:30 a.m. in Hawaii.

We enjoyed a Japanese buffet breakfast at the hotel (Hotel Green Annex 2).  The hotel staff helped us to forward our suitcases to Kumamoto.  We then walked to Post Office to mail a box to our friends in Kii Katsuura (BTW, what would cost about $50.00+ dollars to ship from Hawaii cost only about 1100 Yen to ship from Japan) then walked to the Yanagibashi Rego Market.  I thought it would be a short walk but it took us about ½ hour.  Got some dried Ika and caught a cab back so we could check out on time. 

I’m surprised that people talk to me in Japanese.  I am obviously dressed like a tourist, wearing slacks, a pullover type Aloha shirt, and a golf type cap that looks as though it were made of straw.  How you figgah?

We then caught the Shinkansen to Kumamoto.  We ate lunch soon after arriving, then caught a bus to our hotel.  The bus system here is complex.  I thought that all busses that pass the Kumamoto Train station, which is more on the outskirts of the city, would go through the Bus Center, which is in downtown Kumumoto.  But when we asked which bus we had to catch to our hotel, the lady said to wait near her and she would tell us which bus to catch.

They wouldn’t let us check in early so we walked around, looking for omiyage.

After checking in, I told JJ that it feels that we were here a long time, instead of only one full day.  It just seems that we’ve done so much.  As I’m writing this, I can see Kumamoto Castle out the window.  It’s such a beautiful building.

JJ is up at the Onsen.  I’m on my third Asahi.  Great stuff……The Asahi.

We ate dinner at an Izakaya.  Thanks to miscommunication, it came out to only 1330 Yen.  Our waiter canceled one of our dishes when we added a third dish.  But, the portions were so large that only two dishes was enough.  I should have realized we had a communication problem as when we entered, I asked the waiter if they had an English menu and he replied, “just a little”.

I am really exhausted right now.  It’s 12:26 a.m. in Hawaii (7:26 p.m. in Japan).  Good night.

Sunday:

It looks like rain today.  We got caught in a short squall yesterday but it wasn’t too bad.  We ate breakfast at the Hotel.  It seemed a little pricey but turned out to be pretty good.  They had a wide variety of food and the only things that would make it perfect was if they had fresh brewed coffee by the cup and bacon.

After we got back to our room, JJ tells me that she wants to a festival in Ukiha but doesn’t know if there is local transportation to the falls.  She tells me that she will check with the front desk if they have any information.  I quickly look up the train schedule in Hyperdia and see that the ideal train leaves in 40 minutes.  So I tell her that if she wants to go, let’s just take a chance and go.  If worse comes to worse, we can just catch the train back as we have a rail pass.

To save time, we catch a taxi to the JR Station.  We catch the Shinkansen to Kurume (oh how I love the speed), then a local train to Ukiha.  We ask the station agent if there is a bus to the festival.  He tells us that he thinks that the festival is canceled and shows us the bus schedule.  The busses are few and far between.  He tells us that a taxi will cost about 2500 Yen, one way,  and doesn’t know if they will wait for us.  He tells us that there is a bus terminal close by.  We thank him and decide to just walk around town, then catch the train back.  I told JJ that this is one of the things I wanted to do in Kyoto.  Just catch a train to a small town and explore it.  And, I added that everything happens for a reason.

We start walking, looking for a place to eat.  There are no people walking around, few cars driving around, and no place open for lunch.  It’s almost like walking through old, Hawi, Kohala, on a Sunday.  We see the bus stop that the agent told us about and ask a driver about the schedule to the falls.  He verifies that the buses are few and far between.

So we again start walking, looking for a place to eat.  We come across a store that sells snacks and beer.  We buy a beer for me, juice for JJ and ask the clerk if I can drink the beer outside, on the bench fronting their shop.  He tells us that I can drink the beer just around the corner.  As his English is as good as our Japanese, one of his customers explains to us what he is trying to say.

So we go around the corner, and there is a bar with people in it.  So we’re a little confused as I did not buy the beer from them so it’s hard just to in and drink my beer.  Then the lady who was translating for us comes in through a door that joins the two places and explains to the lady behind the counter that we were told to drink my beer there.  So as we’re sitting, drinking our cold ones, two of the guys there tries to start up a conversation.  We try but are not too successful.  Then the same guy from next door comes in and explains that we are from Hawaii and his grandmother was born in Hawaii and moved to Japan.  So they all start talking about how we came to see the festival at the falls and that we couldn’t find transportation.  So they start talking about driving us up.  I’m a little leery as I thought one of the guys drinking was going to take us up.  Turns out that the guy who sold us our drinks owns the place and he is the one who will take us.  We try to say no as we know that it is really an inconvenience for him and he also has to watch his store.  But the lady tells us that he would feel really good if we let him take us.  How could we say “:no”?

We get into his car and he tells us that it’s about a 20 minute drive.  When we reach the falls, he asks some guys at the festival if anyone speaks English as we came from Hawaii.  One guy says that he speaks a little and will act as our guide.  He take us up to the falls, which is not very big but is really beautiful, and calming.  He then takes us to a place where they are serving local somen, as part of the festival.  We order for us and try and tell him that we would like to order for him as well as Mr. S-----, the man who graciously brought us there.  He tells us no, just order for ourselves.  So we place our order and go to the place where we are to eat it.  We are seated around a circular basin, with water flowing around.  He tells us that when we get the somen noodles, we are to put it in the swirling water, then pick it up.  When the noodles are delivered, the lady brings some condiments of green onions, wasabi and yuzu paste, that we are to put in the sauce.  Wow, it was delicious.  It was the kind of flavor I love.  Simple, clean, pure.  I was a little worried about Mr. S----- having to wait for us but did not want to leave any of the somen left over as I didn’t want them to look down on us……not to mention the fantastic flavors.  So I ate it all.

On the drive back to town, he took us through some groves with grapes and persimmons.  At his shop, he reluctantly gave us his address and said that we don’t have to write him.  We declined his offer to drive us back to the train station.  As we walked toward a tower that I thought was the station, we realized that we had overshot the little alley that led to it, as I forgot the first rule of walking in a strange place, take pictures of the intersections so we can find our way back.

We see a little shop that seems open and no one is there.  So I shout “hello”.  A grumpy lady yells what we want (I think) and I tell that we are looking for the JR station.  Well, at least she points us in the right direction.  We end up turning before we were supposed to and end up on the other side of the track and station.  So now we have to walk all around until we come to a roadway that gets us back to the station.

Now I don’t know what the lesson is (remember I said to JJ that everything happens for a reason), but I am truly awed with the fact that over the years, two different people in Japan went out of their way to be nice to us, strangers from another country.  How lucky can we be? 

Well, lucky in some ways.  The auto focus on my primary lens, the 16-85 zoom, quit working.  It may have something to do with the two times I dropped my camera with it on when our grandsons and cousin Jean were visiting us, a few months ago.  Oh well, I used to have to manual focus before.

We went to the same Izakaya for dinner.  This time we had fried chicken and fried Tako.  It came to only 1250 Yen, with a large beer!  While sitting, we can see a sliver of a view of the street.  It’s a really great place to girl people watch.  Many people dress really casually, compared to Osaka or Kyoto….or Kii Katsuura for that matter.  We see many in jeans or shorts.  Some of the girls are really tall.

On the way out, we see the cook grilling some chicken wings and a musubi.  Well, we know what’s for dinner tomorrow night.

The hotel offers a free “happy noodle” at night.  In the poster, it looks like Ramen but unfortunately, we are already sleeping when they start serving.  Ah, the beginning burdens of old age.

Monday:

I need to buy some snacks to eat while waiting for JJ to get up and to have with my Asahi when JJ is at the Onsen upstairs.  I’ve been up for several hours, doing my morning routine of reading the Honolulu Start Advertiser and the Hawaii Trib on-line and checking emails….and working on my journal.

The weather has been pretty good so far.  We were warned of the summer heat and humidity by I am not bothered by it as it seems to me a lot like Hilo.  JJ on the other hand is slightly bothered by the humidity.  I brought walking shorts but doubt that I’m going to wear them.

They must have heard about my comment regarding fresh brewed coffee by the cup and bacon.  Well, at least they had the bacon.  I think I can eat there one more time before my taste buds get bored.

We spent the day looking around some covered shopping arcades.  It was an adventure just looking for a place to eat lunch.  We ate Ramen at a shop that had only one kind, Koteri Ramen.  I thought that the noodles had a poor texture and was a bit salty.  The broth however, was good.

We ate dinner at the same Izakaya.  This time, we tried the chicken wings and grilled musubi as well as the grilled tako.  The wings sure looked better last night as we were leaving.  They were a delicious looking golden and crispy looking.  Ours tonight was just brownish/grayish.  The musubi was dipped in a strong shoyu based sauce and was too over seasoned for me.  I don’t know if I can handle another meal there.  The food for the most part is good, well seasoned but same ole, same ole.

Bought some Pistachio Nuts from 7-11.  They were quite good so I bought a bigger bag after dinner.  They rival the really fresh stuff we used to buy at the L.A. Farmers Market.

Tuesday:

The plan today is to get up early so we can catch the train to Mount Aso.  Even JJ got up at 6:00.  I first got up at 12:00, thinking is was 5:00 a.m. here.  After I accidentally woke JJ up with the noise I was making, she told me what time it was.  Oops!  Luckily, I could go back to sleep.

After breakfast, we caught the train to Mt. Aso.  On the way there, the train starts reversing after a stop at a station.  While we were a bit worried, we didn’t panic as the conductor had asked us where we were headed.  After a short while, the train then proceeds to go back in the same direction.  I t seems as though they had to change tracks.

From the Aso train station, we caught a bus to the top.  At first, there was light rain.  As we got about half way up, clouds severely limited visibility.  I expected to break out of the clouds and see bright sunshine at any moment.  I even got my camera in movie mode so I could capture the moment that we broke through.  I could tell we were getting closer as the fare display was getting closer to 540 Yen, which was the fare to the top.  Finally, we reached the summit and all we saw was fog!

So we did a little shopping, ate a snack, and caught the bus down.  We decided to salvage the day by stopping at Musashizuka train station and walk to the Musashizuka Park.  JJ got the directions from Trip Advisor and boy was the directions off.  Good thing we stopped and asked for directions as we weren’t too far off course yet.

The park was very tranquil, although I could feel the hair on my neck rise when we were on the outside, just before entering the park.  After walking around, we stopped by a little souvenir shop and restaurant.  They didn’t have an English menu and a Japanese couple was trying to interpret for us.  We ended up getting what they were eating, a “Musashi Udon”.  It was pretty good but JJ’s highlight was eating two blueberry yogurt cones.

JJ is at the Onsen as I write this.  I’m now on my third Asahi.  We ate a very late lunch so we may just skip dinner and eat some peaches that we bought yesterday.  And maybe an Asahi or two….or three.

We skipped dinner and instead ate the fresh peaches that JJ bought.  Even with Kosher salt on it, it was too sweet and juicy for me.  JJ Enjoyed it, though.  For some reason, I wasn’t sleepy.  As I’m getting ready for bed at about 9:15, JJ tells me that I might as well stay up and try the “Singing Noodles” that the offers hotel offers free to their guests from 9:30 to 11:00 pm.  It was the best Ramen that I’ve eaten in Japan.  The noodles were cooked perfectly and were tasty.  If I were a night owl, I’d go back just before they close.  I asked JJ to wake me up tomorrow night if I’m sleeping.

Wednesday:

I got up at my usual time of about 3:30 a.m.  Listened to my audio book for 3 ea., ½ hour increments.  Finally decided to just get up.

We plan to catch the train to Shimonoseki, which is in Honshu.  It was a little tricky planning it on Hyperdia but I’m pretty confident that I got it right, the reason being that our rail pass is only good for Kyushu.

There are thunderstorms today.  Hope the weather is better up north.

I thought I had the train system all figured out, using Hyperdia.  Unfortunately, I forgot to check out the red print on the rules governing the rail pass.  It expressly forbids the use of it for the Shinkansen between Hakata and Kokura.  So we ended up paying about 4000 Yen more for the two of us.

The real bummer was that the market that JJ wanted to go to was closed today.  They are normally open 7 days a week.  We ended up shopping at a market close by that also featured products by the area vendors.  Overall, we much prefer to shop at Nishiki Market in Kyoto. 

This is the first time that I’ve met an uncaring taxi driver in Japan.  When we got to the market, it obviously looked closed but he just wanted to get on his way.  At first, I thought that he had dropped us off at the wrong place.  We had to walk in the rain to the other market so it was a good thing that we had our rain gear (UH logo, of course). 

All the restaurants featured either Fugu or Shrimp.  I was a bit disappointed as I really wanted to eat crab.  We ended up skipping lunch.

JJ decided to make another round of shopping.  I guess after all of the hassles in getting there, she was determined to buy something.  I decided to sit, wait and listen to my book.  After more than an hour, I figured that something was wrong so I decided to go look for her.  I see her at the next “alley” down, looking around.  When I get there, she asked me where I was.  I told her, “waiting for you, where we agreed to meet”.  She was waiting at the wrong place!  Well, everything happens for a reason, but I wonder what the reason was?

After we got back, we went to the underground plaza that JJ heard about.  We were surprised at the quantity and quality and low prices of the food there, as well as the size of the complex, all under the Kotsu Bus Terminal.  We bought fresh fruits and a quick lunch.  The grapes are so huge.  They even seem to have a wine like flavor, including the alcohol.

Time is really flying.  Hard to believe that we’ll be leaving in 3 days.  So far, it’s been ok but not as good as our trips to Kii Katsuura, Kyoto and Osaka.  Given a choice, I’d rather pay more for airfare and fly to the Kansai area.  I really don’t care to return to either Kyushu or Hokaido.

I decided to take a nap at 6:30 p.m. while JJ is at the Onsen.  She woke me up at about 9:30 and we went downstairs to eat “Singing (I call it Happy) Noodles” again.  It is very aptly named as when you leave, there is a big smile on your face!

Thursday:

Amazingly, I managed to get back to sleep after eating the Singing Noodles.  Got up at my usual 5:30 a.m. 

A couple of nights ago, I dreamt of my father.  The interesting thing is that for that moment, I felt so young, not like the old man I’m now.  Aren’t dreams wonderful?

This is our last full day in Kumamoto.  The plan was to get an all day bus pass and go to Shimada Museum where they have Musashi artifacts.  When we got there, the museum was closed as they were changing the exhibit.  Very disappointing.  We wonder, if the backbone of the museum is Musashi, why would they close down the whole museum to change the exhibit.  I’m sure that the Musashi portion is always the same.

So we caught the bus back to Kumamoto Castle and went to a place that replicated the streets of the Edo period.  We found quite a few things to buy there. We caught the Kumamoto Castle Loop Bus to go to the Castle itself.  It turns out that the bus was on a return trip.  So we figure, oh well, it’ll just take us longer.  Ha!  When it reaches the Kumamoto Train Station, the driver tells us that it’s the end of the line and we have to get out.  Loop?  How you figgah?

My summary of this trip is that meeting Mr. S---- and going to the Matsuri at the falls was the highlight.  Everything else is pretty much a disappointment, primarily because this island is not tourist friendly.  Even having a bus route map in English would be a BIG, BIG improvement.  The food too, for the most part, has been disappointing.  I even bought some sashimi at a market today and it was so bad, I didn’t even finish it. 

It would take a miracle for me to come back here.

Tomorrow, we hope to redo Mt. Aso, weather permitting.

Friday:

After breakfast, I checked with the front desk on the weather at Mt. Aso.  I was told that its rainy.  At first I had my doubts as to the accuracy as there were spots of blue that I could see.  However, when I checked my compass so I could look in the general vicinity of Aso, it was indeed overcast.

So we decided to go to Kumamoto Castle.  As soon as we got there, it started raining so we had to wait it out.

The ambience of the Castle is much better than the last time we saw it.  They have Samurai and Ninja in costume.  Some of them are really animated and they are all very friendly.  One of them even had a grandmother who came from Hawaii.  This is the second person this trip who told us that.  How you figgah?

Oh, and all of the Samurai were “Endo Samurai”.  One time, Laura (Judy's mom) was bragging to me that the Endo’s (her family) were Samurai.  So I told her that I didn’t know that there was such a thing as “Midget Samurai” (as everyone in her family is small).  She didn’t think it was funny.  HYF?

We ate lunch at the train station and it was really good.  JJ said that it was the best meal of the trip because of the Shave Ice that she had for dessert.

After a fast trip on the Shinkansen, oh how I love that speed, we managed to check in early at our hotel.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the internet to work.  We ended up changing rooms but this room is substantially smaller that the first one.  And, the air conditioning is not as cold.  But, as far as I’m concerned, it’s worth it.  It’s a good thing we forwarded our big luggage directly to the airport.  We have only one small carry-on and we can’t find a place to keep it out of the way.

We ate an early dinner at the JR station.  The prices of the food was really reasonable.  But, like most Japanese Steaks, the meat is so rich due to the marbling and my taste buds get overwhelmed.  Another thing is that they give a dipping sauce but do not season the meat with salt, so the flavor is not as satisfying.

While logging in our expenses, I noticed a charge from the Dormy Inn.  I remember JJ paying for it when we checked in so we double checked it.  We were charged an extra 3980 Yen for something, we don’t know what.  Hopefully we can clear this up with Japanican,the website that JJ booked our room through.  Good lesson though, Check charges before you leave.

Speaking of which, we learned another thing too late.  In Kumamoto, we were catching a cab to the train station to save time.  Today, we found out that the bus to the train station was so close to us and the waits are pretty short.  We could have saved at least 3000 Yen  by catching the bus.  Between that and the unknown charge at the Dormy Inn, it’s almost $100.00 U.S.

I was telling JJ over dinner that this trip is not really satisfying for me because I don’t have a sense of accomplishment.  I am as ignorant about getting around in Kumamoto as the day we got there.  What’s interesting about this is that I HATE SCHOOL, which is where we are supposed to learn things.  How you figgah?  I guess I love to learn but not from others.  Must be the genes, huh? 

JJ figured out what the charge was for.  We got charged twice for forwarding our baggage as I paid cash for the service.  Good thing I got a receipt.

Interesting observations:

• There are a lot of BIG PEOPLE here in Kyushu.  More than any other place we’ve seen in Japan.  Must be because of the port that allowed foreigners from Europe, China, Korea, etc. 
• We were warned about the heat and humidity during the summer months in Japan.  But, I find both conditions tolerable.  Funny thing is, although neither the heat nor the humidity bothers me, I sweat like a pig…do pigs sweat?  Anyway, I do sweat a lot when we’re outside walking, especially climbing stairs, but I do not feel uncomfortable.  Maybe the bald head helps to dissipate the heat.
• Lack of English Maps, menus, etc.  You would think that sister city pacts would benefit each other by making it easier for each city’s members to visit each other.  And using each other’s resources to interpret maps, directions to key tourist areas and places, etc.  Too simple?  Why is it that no one has thought of this?  The reason is probably that when our elected officials visit their Sister City, they do not have to get around on their own.  They are ferried around as the VIP’s that they are.  They simply cannot relate to problems their constituents face when traveling.  HYF?

Saturday:

Today is our last day in Japan.  How quickly the time has gone by.  The plan is to go to the Asahi Beer Factory, then to Minishima Market Street (aka the kitchen of Fukuoka), then to Yanagibashi Market where we found dried Ika when we first got here.

When we got to the Asahi factory, we found out that we would have to wait about 3 hours for a tour.  We don’t really know whether it was that’s when an English tour would begin or because the earlier tours were fully booked.  As JJ said, three strikes and it’s really the last trip to Fukuoka.

We did a combination of taxi, bus and walking to finish up our errands.  Had a pretty decent lunch at the train station.  We got to the airport extra early as we had nothing else to do.  We will have about a 5 hour wait.  It’s not too bad as hopefully, the last 3 hours will be in the A.N.A. lounge.

My summary of this trip is it was not as good as our best guided tours, but better or equal to than any other guided tour that we’ve been on.  However, if I include a cost factor, it’s better than any guided tour that we have been on.

If this were the first trip to Japan on our own, we’d probably never do it again.  It’s fortunate that we know better.

The lounge here at Fukuoka Airport is almost as bad as the one in Hawaii.  At least they have beer.  But no food.  The food on the plane is going to taste very good.  Or we may end up eating some of the Omiyage that JJ bought.

Until our next trip.

Japan April 2012

Japan

April 2012

Judy unexpectedly found some really low airfares to Japan ($625.00/Person, One Way from Hilo) so we decided to go if Tours by Charlie could get us rooms.  After a couple of days, Kaweo phoned and said that he was able to get the rooms but the room in Osaka would not be as convenient as the last time as the hotel was not immediately adjacent to the subway.

Monday/Tuesday, April 9/10:

I spent the morning nervously and anxiously getting ready to fly out.  Same ole, same ole, it’s always this way.  Also, I really have a hard time leaving the “little people” alone for such a length of time.  Due to a communications error, we will be gone for 12 days rather than the 10 that I wanted.  I think JJ did it on purpose.

The flight on Hawaiian was only about ½ full.  They served a curry chicken for lunch and a sandwich for a snack and the food doesn’t even come close to what JAL serves.  The flight attendants are nice and try to be gracious but in Japan, striving to be one’s best is so ingrained in the culture that HAL really comes up short.  But, the fares from Hilo on Hawaiian are so low that it makes flying on Hawaiian worthwhile.  Plus, the bonus miles of Pualani Platinum actually pays for the grandkids trips to the big island.

On HAL’s Japan flights, all drinks and movies are free.  I spent most of my time reading a book on the slide show software that I use for my shows.  Hopefully my next show will be better than what I’ve done in the past.  I got to see Red Tails and it was disappointing.  Too many computer generated scenes and I really had a hard time telling the difference between the black actors.

Ah, finally my senior moment.  While setting up my laptop, I couldn’t find the adaptor (U.S grounded 3 prong to Japan 2 blade).  The hotel has a hard wired internet but no wireless.  We have the Ipad’s charger but no data plan as AT&T now requires us to have a domestic data plan before we can sign up for an international plan.  Fortunately, the hotel had an adaptor.  Whew.

Wednesday, April 11:

We had a buffet breakfast at the hotel.  It was quite a bargain for 950 Y each.  They had this neat coffee machine that makes great coffee.  It will instantly wake you up.  The food was quite good, having a nice variety of dishes.

The weather looked good so instead of looking around this area, JJ wanted to go to Osaka Castle to see the Cherry Blossoms.  When we got there, it started showering.  In spite of the dreary gray sky, the blossoms looked iridescent.  The showers and gray sky actually added to the serenity of the bloom.  The small crowds helped too.  Except for one Haole loudly talking on his cell phone.  Talk about the ugly American.

We ate lunch at one of the restaurants on the castle grounds.  I had shoyu ramen which was ok and JJ had a Soba dish that featured a Shiso broth.  Both could have used a bit more salt but have you ever noticed that Japanese restaurants rarely have salt at the table?

After catching the subway back to our hotel, JJ wanted to go to the visitor info center.  We finally gave up after getting lost in the underground shopping mall.  How ironic.  Plus, I was in major pain from a sore left foot.

Dinner was at an Izakaya near our hotel.  Our Japanese was just as good as our waitresses English.  We ended up with Maguro Sashimi which was exquisite, Karaage Tako which was a bit salty, chicken wings which was very salty and a Pizza which was a bit sweet (from tomatoes?”).  That, two teas and two beers came up to only 4000 Y.  I wonder if they have crab?

The hotel seems like a businessman’s hotel.  The neighborhood is slightly on the seedy side as we see “gentlemen’s clubs” in the area.  If this were in the U.S., we’d be apprehensive, but in Japan, never. 

It’s only 6:30 and I am TIRED.  It’s 11:30 back home so no wonder.  Well, it is now 7:09 so good night.

Thursday, April 12:

I’ve been up since 3:00 a.m.  Catching up with my audiobook, 11-23-63.  I think it’s one of Stephen King’s better works although my favorite is the Shawshank Redemption.  Earlier, sirens in the distance (sounded like it came from the train station) awoke me.  They kept on going and I was wondering what I should do.  Meanwhile, I kept on listening to see if the number or volume increases…..then I fell asleep.

The morning is bright and sunny and I assume that the sirens that I heard last night was just a minor, local problem.

After breakfast, we left early to go on a guided tour of Osaka.  Because we were to meet in front of the visitor info center at the Osaka JR station, the same info center that we got lost in trying to find it yesterday, we left an hour early.  Well, this time, we found it easily and were way too early. 

Our guide, Minako, spoke English very well and could be easily understood.  The tour had only 4 people.  We first toured the train station where we saw 5 of the 8 plazas.  Each one has a clock that symbolizes that particular plaza.  I was impressed the most with the water clock.  While at the station, I saw a young girl on the stairs adjacent to our escalator cleaning the hand rail.  I couldn’t help but think that if that were is the U.S., the girl would be riding on the escalator, sticking her arm out to clean the rail.

Minako said that the Umeda station is one of the most complicated stations in Osaka and we were told that even local people get confused.  She also said that one of the sections is called “alibi lane” as they have regional gifts from all over so husbands can tell their wives that they were on a business trip when they get together with their girlfiends.

We then went to Tennoji where we toured and had a light lunch.  After that we went to Namba where we saw more local sights and where the tour ended.  It was a total of 3 hours and was quite a bargain, considering that it included a light lunch and subway fares.

At this point, both JJ and I are aching.  JJ with her sore knees and me with a sprained ankle.  I don’t even remember spraining my ankle, which prob happened at Osaka Castle, yesterday.  Feeling our age.  This may end up to be a very relaxing trip if we both don’t recover soon.

We both enjoy the slower pace of Kyoto.  Osaka is such a bustling place that it almost feels as though it’s draining the energy from you.  Of course, our old folks aches probably adds to the aggravation.  I was telling JJ over dinner that this is the first time that I’ve experienced aches and now realize what she as well as Laura and Joe have been going through.  She said that my compassion will last as long as my sprained ankle.  Probably true…….no, make it true fac!  (not a typo, true fac!)

Friday, April 13:

We are still enjoying the coffee at our hotel’s breakfast buffet.  It’s goodness is probably because each cup uses freshly ground coffee as well as water temperature control.

We caught the subway to the Kuromon Ichiba Market where we did some omiyage shopping.  Found some Takenoko (cooked) so we’re pretty sure that it will pass U.S. Customs.  We asked if the Takenoko was from Japan or China and found out that some were from China.  Also bought my favorite Dried Ika. 

We then caught the subway to Tsuruhashi where Korea Town is.  When we got there, Korea Town was immediately at the subway exit.  This was far different from what we experienced in our last trip.  We tried scouting the area adjacent to the station but could not find where we were the last time.

JJ’s Hot rock Bi Bim Bop did not have any meat in it.  She said that Island Style in Las Vegas still has the best.  My Kal Bi Ribs was made from Pork Ribs.  It was a little too sweet for my tastes.

My ankle was feeling much better than yesterday but the pain started getting more severe so I finally took my 800 mg Ibuprofin and after a couple of hours, the pain completely disappeared.  It really feels great to be pain free.

We decided to revisit Osaka Castle and just sit under the Sakura bloom.  On our way there, this young Japanese guy starts talking to us.  He said that he had a little beer and seemed a little drunk.  He asks where we were going and we told him Osaka Castle.  He asks if he can follow us as he is unfamiliar with the area.  So as we are walking toward the exit, he starts to insist that we have to transfer to another subway line.  I show him Osaka Castle on the map so he finally agrees to listen to me.  Talk about “slide clutch”.

I guess we spent about an hour, just sitting and relaxing under the Sakura tree.

As how it’s been everyday, we got back to our hotel about 2:00 p.m.  After resting, we went out to dinner at about 5:30.  We decided to try someplace new so we asked the front desk.  They sent us to the arcade that had so many restaurants.  All of them were high energy, pushy with young girls and guys hawking their businesses and seemed to stress either cheap and plenty or top of the line.  We went to one place that did not have an English menu but we were told that the menu had a lot of pictures.  The girl said to go to the 2^nd floor.  We caught the elevator and hit #2.  We go out and the area was completely unlit and DARK.  There was a glass door that would not open.  Talk about getting freaked out.  Remember, I’m listening to a Stephen King Book.  We tried #3 but decided not to eat there as there were no normal sounds of people eating.  

Sometimes, JJ can be exasperating when it comes to eating.  She can be so particular and yet cannot make up her mind as to where or what she wants to eat.  It could be very trying for an impatient person.  Good thing I’m patient.

Finally, we decided to eat at a more quiet and normal place.  We ended up a curry restaurant.  It was a chain but the food was surprisingly good.  JJ really enjoyed their salad dressing and bought some for omiyage.

Saturday, April 14:

I’ m really getting tired of eating the same breakfast.  Today, we plan on catching the monorail to view more Sakura at Osaka Expo Park.  It’s overcast and cold outside so we figured that we should go to somewhere more sheltered.

It turned out the Expo Park is not sheltered.  No matter as the day turned out to be beautiful.  It was a very relaxing experience.  There were a lot of vendors and it was great just seeing all of the various products.  Most were pottery and dishes and we weren’t sure if some of the products were made by the people selling them or they were re-selling goods from China.

We bought food from a couple of food vendors and ate under the Sakura.  It’s amazing how many people were there, eating and drinking and yet, there was not even one obnoxious person.  What a great country Japan and it’s people are!

We then caught the subway to Namba so I could eat King Crab.  It turned out to be not quite as good as the last time.  Also, I ordered “Crab Guts” which looked like from a big crab in the picture.  In reality, it turned out to be a very small crab and the miso was not as good as the Dungeness that we eat back home at Happy Valley.

JJ is getting much better at figuring out directions, even at Umeda Station.  Just when we start to figure things out, we leave.  How you figguh?

Earlier in the trip, I was telling JJ that it’s better to stay near a small station, like we did the last time.  But now, I think staying near a large station is better as there are a lot more eating places nearby.

We ate dinner at the Izakaya restaurant for the 3^rd time.  We asked them to use less salt for the Karaage Tako and it came out perfect.  We also had a cooked Moyashi dish which was fantastic.  And of course, the usual double serving of Maguro.  The sashimi has been exquisite.  It’s texture is not the firm one like we are used to in Hawaii.  But it is also not mushy.  It has a soft, buttery texture and great flavor while not being the super oily, strong flavored fish that is the usual Japanese fare.

Sunday, April 15:

The great coffee makes us keep on returning for breakfast.  We then forwarded our baggage and caught the Special Rapid Service train to Kyoto.  It actually cost more to forward our bags than our train fare (3100 Y for 3 bags vs 1200Y for 2 people).  It’s a good thing we forwarded the bags.  We ended up standing for the whole trip to Kyoto, about 30 minutes.  It might have been better to catch a train that made more stops as it would be less desirable for most people and more likely have open seats.

After reaching our hotel, we had our carry on luggage stored and caught the hotel shuttle to the Westin Miyako.  Then a cab to the Silver Pavilion and onto the Philosophers Path.  The Sakura was in full bloom and the day was sunny but it was not as enjoyable as it just wasn’t as serene as Osaka.  The difference was that over here, everyone is walking while in Osaka, most people were sitting, eating and drinking with friends.

We walked all the way to the Westin Miyako and caught the shuttle back to the New Miyako.  It’s a good thing that I exercise daily. Even then, my muscles ache and burn.  I really need to lose weight.  I plan to lose 15 lbs. before our next trip.  I also plan on walking more at home, carrying a backpack.  The stationary bike is ok, but I guess you just can’t beat real world walking, with a load.

Monday, April 16:

We ate breakfast at the Amici.  It seemed as though the owner had the look that we were familiar but could not quite place us (we ate there every morning during our last visit in December).

We then caught a cab to Kiyomizudera Temple.  It paled in comparison to the fall colors and was somewhat disappointing.  After that, we ate lunch at a Udon restaurant that we ate at about a year and a half ago.  Ownership must have changed as they no longer had the curry udon that I was looking forward to.  We both enjoyed their Soba dishes.

After walking to the main street, we decided to catch the bus back to our hotel instead of the subway.  It turned out to be much easier and probably faster.

One observation of Kyoto compared to Osaka is that food in Osaka is more expensive but transportation is much cheaper and easier to get around.  Osaka’s subway system is much more comprehensive and you can go to any tourist destination via subway.  In Kyoto, you need to rely more on cabs and the bus.

This evening, we went on the Gion Walking tour.  It was well worth the 1000 Y ea.  We even got to see a couple of Geiko and Maiko.  The tour was huge, 20+ people.  Got some nice night shots.

After that, we walked to Maruyama Park.  Only one Sakura was lit up and unfortunately, my photo could not capture the magnificence of the tree (I think it has to do with the auto white balance for you techi photographers).  We had planned on catching a cab back to the hotel but at the last minute, we saw a bus headed for the Kyoto train Station.  JJ bravely ran and stuck her hand in the door, just as it was closing.  Fortunately, the door reopened and we got on.  Cost us only 460 Y instead of 1500 Y for a cab that it cost us this morning.  It is now 10:15 and well past my bedtime.  Wow, we walked so much today that the bottom of my feet still ache.  It’s hard to believe that I could run around barefoot a scant 60 years ago!

Tuesday, April 17:

Overslept a little as I got up at about 6:00 a.m.  I decided to try the Aikido Rhythm Dance and stretching to see if it’ll help relieve my aches while walking.  Funny thing is that my legs will start aching, then the pain will go away.  I’m hoping that the stretching will eliminate the initial pain while walking.

While waiting for JJ to get up, I finally got my laptop to act as a WIFI hotspot so JJ’s Ipad can connect to the “net”.  Isn’t Google the greatest invention?  Man, you can learn anything on it.  Well, almost anything.  My euphoria was short lived as there is an intermittent problem and the connection is “iffy”.  All the related info sez to reset the router but no where does it tell you how when using a laptop as a hotspot.  I guess Win XP is just too obsolete.

We caught the hotel’s shuttle to the Westin Miyako again.  From there, we walked to the Heian Temple.  It is so peaceful there that you forget that you are in a large city.  We spent some time just sitting and eating ice cream.  Judy also enjoyed a Zenzai dish.  The ice cream was a bit too sweet for me so I ordered a green tea to clean out my pallet.  Unfortunately, it was a SWEEETENED green tea.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?

We then caught the bus to Nishiki Market.  As we had misplaced the bus rout map, I had to go by memory of the number of turns.  Miraculously, we ended up right where we were supposed to.  We started of by looking for a place to eat lunch.  When we finally found a place with an English menu, the food was, shall we say, “different”.  Besides dishes like smoked duck, they also had “cock” something on Pasta.  Now I don’t know if they meant chicken or ?, but I wasn’t about to take a chance.

We ate lunch at a Sushi Restaurant in Nishiki.  The Tekamaki was excellent as was the beer.  It was surprisingly filling.

Caught the bus again back to our hotel.  We are getting quite good at this.

Wed, April 18

We will be trying to catch the bus to Ninaaji Temple where they have their own variety of Sakura.  We then hope to catch the train to Arashiyama.

The bus ride to Ninnaji was terrible.  We got on at the beginning of the trip and were one of the last ones to board.  Big mistake as we had to stand the whole trip.  At every stop, we thought that no way could any more people board but get on they did.  Finally, toward the end of the trip, no more people could board.  It was so hot in the bus and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

The weather today started off a bit nippy but got really warm, almost like Hawaii.

Ninnaji was really nice.  It was like we were rewarded after the bus ride.  The blooms were full and the garden was very tranquil.  After walking around, we sat for a while, drinking our cold tea and juice.  Catching the train to Arashiyama was not as straight forward as we thought as we had to make a transfer.  The train was very small, consisting of only one car.  Instead of buying tickets, we paid an attendant at the train station upon exiting the gate.

Arashiyama was a big disappointment as the blooms were over and very sparse.  We just stayed for a short while and caught the train back to Kyoto.

I think that the curry beef that I had for lunch did not agree with my system.  Even after dinner tonight, my stomach felt like a slight burning.  I ended up sleeping really early after taking some Mylanta.  Sometimes, the English translation leaves a lot to be desired.  The menu had “beef curry” and “beef curry with tools”.  How you Figguh?

Tomorrow is our last full day.  We plan on catching the train to Uji to buy tea.  They are famous for their tea.  One tea that I have not seen in Japan is Habucha.  I wonder why?

Overall, I enjoy the vibrant Fall colors much, much more than the Spring Sakura blooms.  And yet, the tranquility of just sitting and enjoying the Sakura blooms is nice too.  But I guess that because the fall colors are so varied, I prefer them.

The days are going by so fast.  But I miss our “little people” and I miss the challenge of making my boxes.  It will be nice to be back home again.

I was telling JJ that our next trip to Japan, I want to go to somewhere new.  Perhaps, going to different cities for 2 to 3 days, then moving on.

BTW, we are seeing lots and lots of Takenoko.  And huge ones too!  How I wish I could bring it back to Hawaii.

Thursday, April 19:

Woke up early as usual feeling like my old self again.  I even finished the Stephen King book.  It was quite enjoyable and not the typical King genre.

We caught the train to Uji.  Had one anxious moment as both of us were daydreaming and not paying attention to the station announcement.  But, we managed to get off at Uji as planned.

As we walked to the park, we passed by a little store that sold bento.  When the lady spoke to us, I replied with my normal “nihongo wakarimasen”.  She then told JJ that I said that very well.

So all the way to the park, we are looking for a place to eat.  Finally when we get there, we’re sitting down and soaking up the ambience, I tell JJ, “should I go back and buy the bento?”.  So, I walk back to town, about a 15-20 minute walk.  Picked up the bento and soft drinks and went back to the park.  JJ was just starting to get worrisome.  Lesson learned, pick up bento before we get to parks, temples, etc.  It is so much more relaxing and enjoyable to eat outdoors, either under the Sakura (or Fall colors) or listening to the sounds of a river.

On the way back to the train station, we had planned to go to the tea store that we went to in December.  Arggh!  They were closed.  We ended up at another place where they were also really nice and accommodating.

Both of us were tired so we decided not to go to Gion to look for Geiko and Maiko.  We ended up packing instead.  So here we are, charging up our electronics for our trip home.

The warm weather has really made this trip more tiring.  Plus, we are dressing better so to better fit in.  We can imagine how taxing it must be during the summer months.

We check out by noon tomorrow and the shuttle picks us up at 3:45 p.m.  We plan on going to Nishiki Market for more shopping and eat lunch.

We’ll eat dinner at the A.N.A. lounge.  I’ll definitely drink less beer while waiting for our flight.  Don’t want to get sick like the last time.

Friday, Apr 20:

We spent the day at Nishiki Market where we bought more Soybean Tea, roasted green tea and some konbu.

We ate lunch at a place called Paris 21 e.  It was upstairs of a business on the Teramachi Arcade.  It turned out to be quite a bargain for about 1500 Y each.  The lunch included salad, the main dish, dessert and after meal soft drink.  The meat was a bit chewy but very tasty.  What was most surprising was that the French Fries was super tasty.  I asked the waiter if it came from Japan and he said he would check.  When he came back, he said it was from the United States.  Shocking.  I guess it was a combination of cooking method and seasoning.

We are now at the A.N.A. lounge at KIX.  Unfortunately, they are not refilling things as we are probably the last flight of the night.  When we got here, they were already out of the soups and low on the Danish pastries.

JJ is next to me and already planning our next trip.  I don’t know if I mentioned this before but being on our own is much more tiring than being on a tour.  The reason is that on a tour, you spend a lot of time on the bus traveling so you get a lot of time to rest.  On your own, you spend more time actively doing things and also, you get to walk around and visit sites more thoroughly. 

Another thing that made this trip more tiring is the weather.  It’s been very warm, with the temps in the high 60’s.  Not really great temp for walking, dressed in a long sleeved shirt.  Maybe next time it’ll be back to jeans and t-shirt.  But I end this trip being thankful for the opportunity, health and a great traveling partner…..it would have been perfect if it were 2 days shorter.

Epilog:

Soon after we came home, Judy’s brother told her about $600.00 airfare to Japan, ROUND TRIP!  Unfortunately, it ends in September.  So, I guess we’ll be going during the summer months, when it’s hot and humid.  But how can we not go at those prices!

Bon Voyage!