Hawaiian Airlines

We love Hawaiian Airlines.  They have a great mileage program that is very flexible with no blacked out dates.  They even allow you to pay for your trip with a combination of miles and dollars (each way).  Having either one of their charge cards makes it easier to rack up those miles and makes sharing miles possible.

I finally reached Pualani Platinum.  Along with a letter stating that I am allowed three checked in bags for free, they sent me two baggage tags.  How you figguh?

Japan December 2011 Journal

Link to slideshow
http://www.photodex.com/share/ljakahi/a688cmg4

Japan December 2011

Thursday, Dec. 1

Got off to a high blood pressure start.  While going thru the TSA line, I realized that I did not have my camera.  Went back to the Hawaiian counter and they greeted me with a “you can’t take this on the plane”, holding up my bag of foot and hand warmers.  Being more concerned with my camera, I told them to keep it.  They didn’t notice my forgotten camera so I checked with the guys out at the curb.  They said that they didn’t see anything so we then called Kiku.  It was still in her car.  It’s tough being a senior.  I hope this is the last of the senior moment type story.

The Hawaiian flight was good but no comparison to JAL.  There were quite a few empty seats scattered throughout the plane.  The main dish was ok but the sandwich served just before we landed was a laugh.  Not even mustard or mayo in it although the box was nicely wrapped in a cloth, Japanese style.  Judy folded hers nicely and I told her that it was not meant to be kept (women!).  Anyway, when the steward came by to pick up the rubbish, he left both cloths.  At least JJ didn’t say “I told you so”.

I think the biggest difference between HAL and JAL is the level of service and the quality of the food.  On JAL, they are constantly going around the cabin, offering tea or water.  Hawaiian, less so.  On JAL, the food always has beautiful presentation and is a delight to eat.  Hawaiian, less so.  Surprisingly, most of the passengers were Japanese nationals.  Still, just for the Pualani benefits, we’d still fly on “Hawaiian.  Speaking of which, when I showed my Pualani Gold card to the flight attention to order my beer, he said that all drinks were free on that flight.

While waiting in the Customs line, we started talking to this lady in front of us.  Turns out that besides teaching Yoga(?) in the U.S., she is also a writer.  She just published a book based on her grandmothers life in Okinawa.  It’s called “Mahataa” which is also her grandmothers last name.  She knows of no one else with this last name.  The book is for sale on Amazon.

Friday, December 02, 2011

We used the MK Skygate shuttle to get to Kyoto as they would drop us off at our hotel, eliminating the two block walk in the cold for only 500 yen more, each.  Only drawback is we had to make sure that we made the reservations two days ahead.  They wouldn’t take a three day ahead reservation.

Dinner at a restaurant in the train station was really cheap (about 700 Y ea.).  But, the portions were small and the pork in JJ’s dinner was tough.

The walk outside showed the temperatures to be cool but comfortable.  The trees outside the hotel that were orange last year are still green.  The good news being that it will probably be warmer this year than last year, the bad news being less fall colors.

Saturday, Dec 3

We both awoke before 8:00 a.m. so hopefully, we will adjust to the time change quickly.  We went to the train station for breakfast and found a nice sit down restaurant with an Italian motif.  It was surprisingly reasonable, food was good and coffee not too bad.  The real surprise was that it was the same place that we had dinner the first night.

We spent the rest of the day at a the Aeon shopping complex next to our hotel.  Now, neither Judy or I are shoppers.  But, we still enjoyed walking around and trying on stuff.  I was looking for a golf type cap to keep my head warm but the ones that I liked were too expensive, $50.00 plus.  Now I wish I accepted the golf cap that our David offered to me before.

This trip, we tried to emulate dressing like Harold and June S.  We were on a tour with them and were impressed with how they dressed.  They actually looked like native Japanese in their dress.  Well, I guess it works as people seem surprised when they find out that we don’t speak Japanese.

Because we didn’t want to go out later for dinner, we picked up some food to go from the train station.  My choices was a little disappointing as the shoyu in the blackened sashimi was too mild.  I tried JJ’s chicken wings but thought it was a bit too sweet for my tastes.  The crowd in the store really made it unenjoyable to shop.

Sunday, Dec 4

We found out that Miyako Hotel had a free shuttle to the Westin Miyako which is pretty close to the Path of Philosophers.  From there, we got a taxi to the silver pavilion which is the start of the “Path”. 

After the leisurely stroll, we caught a taxi to the City Hall where they had a huge flea market.  It was disappointing in that people were just selling old clothes and toys.

We then went to the Nishiki Market where we got some omiyage and stuff for ourselves like tea.  The crowd was terrible.  Some places, we could barely walk.

Traffic near our hotel was really gridlocked.  We finally made it back but it was too early for dinner.  So we went back to our hotel instead of eating dinner.  Big mistake.  When we went back at about 5:30, everyplace in the Ramen area had huge lines.  So we ended up eating at a somen place.  It was ok but not great.

The crowds we encountered today was quite exhausting.  Really makes us appreciate Hilo.

So far, we’ve been really lucky as far as the weather is concerned.  It’s been cool but not cold.  We do need a jacket but as least the temps has been stable enough where we don’t get hot and have to remove and carry our jackets. 

Another good think is that many places (except at Nishiki) will accept charge cards.  Our Credit Union Visa charges only a 1% foreign transaction fee.  The downside of this is that it tends to make us forget how weak the dollar is.

Today, we’ve caught cabs to avoid the hassles and waiting for the city buses.  The fare were quite reasonable, spending less than 3500 Y for the day.

It’s not even 8:00 p.m. and I no longer can stay awake.

Monday, Dec 5

Today, we plan to go to Kurama, which is a local holiday destination.  It is 5:00 a.m. and JJ is still sleeping.  She got up briefly to find and put on her earplugs.  So here I sit, working on this journal, drinking hot tea and eating rice crackers.

My laptop is on it’s last legs.  I tried running it through both virus and spyware checkers.  It is still very slow and even when typing, the letters do not immediately appear after hitting the keys.  I was going to get another Thinkpad but after some research, I pretty much decided on Asus.  It got a good review on consumers.  It’s like a souped up Ipad2, with a 128 G solid state hard drive.  It may even replace our desktop, which is over 5 years old.

While getting our rail passes, I inadvertently left my brand new golf cap behind.  Lo and behold, someone turned it in to lost and found…..ONLY IN JAPAN. 

We went to Kurana and did the onsen thing.  To me, it wasn’t hot enough.  What made me get out was that I was getting wrinkled toes.  It is a great place to visit, although it is a bit “touristy”.  We didn’t even bother to look at the shops in town.  We had lunch at a little shop and the soup base for the Odon was really tasty.  One thing I noticed in Japan is that the broths are a lot better than what is available in Hawaii restaurants.  However, the noodles that I used to buy for my daily Saimin was a lot more flavorful than the noodles in Japan.

To maximize our time, we decided to go to Tofukuji Temple.  Argggg, we just missed the closing time.  We did get to see a peek and the fall colors were brilliant.  Hopefully, we’ll get another chance to visit. 

Tuesday, Dec 6

Our pace so far has been very relaxing which is making the trip enjoyable.  Funny thing about catching trains and the subway.  Thinking about the transfers, etc. is stressful.  But when we actually do it, it is not that hard.  Hmm, last time I said that, we got lost!

What bothers me the most at the end of the day is that the bottom of my feet hurt.  I tried gel insoles and finer textured socks that have helped not eliminated the problem.  I told JJ that maybe I need to go around barefoot more to toughen up the bottom of my feet.  When I was a kid, I could walk on gravel, rocks, etc. and not feel anything.

Our plan today is to go to Arashiyama.  We hope to go out on the river on these little boats that they rent and enjoy the fall colors from the water.

We enjoyed a relaxing day at Arashiyama.  We were the only ones to rent the row boat.  Luckily, we had our air seats so we didn’t get cold sitting on the boat seats.  While the fall colors were present, the lack of a bright sun and a haze in the air kinda muted the brilliance that we are used to.  Never the less, it was quite magnificent.  We just took our time and enjoyed peaceful scenery.

We had dinner at the food court at the Aeon complex.  It was really great as there were no crowds, the food was good and we didn’t feel rushed.  We ended dinner with Gellato.  We hope to go back tomorrow night so I can try curry.

Wednesday, Dec 7

We caught the train to Tokufuji to see the fall colors.  So far, the fall colors are not as prolific and as vivid as last year.  We are probably a couple of weeks too late and the haze in the air prevents the sun from shining brightly.

We then went on the the town of Uji.  It was quite nice but we didn’t get to see everything we wanted to.  We would definitely go back again.

Uji is noted for its tea.  We went to a shop to buy some and we were pleasantly surprised to see the owner blend his own Gen Mai Cha, one of my favorites.  His wife made us some and it was quite delicious.

After we came back, we revisited a pet store at the Aeon Mall.  I took a good look at what the puppies and kittens cost and would you believe Ten Thousand PLUS Yen!  At that rate, Big Bunny would be worth a lot of Yen in Japan.

We leave tomorrow for Kii.  We hope to spend two days doing nothing but hanging around the hotel and Onsen.  We are also meeting our friends, the Miya....’s for dinner on the second night.  It should be interesting due to the language barrier.

The exchange rate is really bad.  Cashing $500.00 in travelers checks gets us only about 380 Yen.

Thursday, Dec 8

We got up extra early so we could eat breakfast at our fav breakfast place.  They recognize us now and have met us with an enthusiastic greeting for several mornings.

While paying for the breakfast, the owner was going to give me more discount coupons but I told her that we were leaving for Kii Katsuura.  She then gave me a little trinket for Judy.

When we were leaving, we gave her some macadamia nut candy and a Hawaii calendar.  They were quite happy.  We were very fortunate in that they really treated us well each morning, even serving a second cup of coffee.

We got to the train station early and had to wait about 45 minutes for our train.  It’s a good thing that we got on the first car as it wasn’t long before the doors closed and we were on our way.  It’s going to be about a 4 hour train ride to Kii Katsuura.

We almost got off at the wrong train station as our train was running late.  When we finally got to Kii Katsuura, Mrs. Miya.... and her daughter, Keiko, were waiting for us.  What a pleasant surprise.  They then took us out for lunch and Mr. Miya.... replaced Mrs. Miya.....  He and his daughter insisted on being our tour guides tomorrow.

After lunch, they took us to their store where we talked for a while.  Mrs. M started taking out so much stuff for us and wouldn’t stop, even after I showed her the famous Japanese X (arms crossed in an x pattern).  They are just too generous.  Mr. Miya... said that they considered us like family.  It’s hard to believe but there really is a bond between us that is hard to explain.

After they dropped us off at the ferry to go to our hotel, they patiently waited until we left and waved good bye.  We are truly fortunate to have met people like them.

It is so peaceful here in our room.  It looks like it rained today and when looking towards the mountains, we can see fingers of mist in the forest.

The Miya....’s gave us some Tomatoes and oranges for a snack.  The tomatoes are so flavorful and I eat them with only kosher salt.  The oranges are sweet and juicy and not the candy like sugary sweet that I don’t care for.

Friday, Dec 9

After breakfast, we met Mr. Miya... and his daughter Keiko.  We asked if we could go to their shop first as we wanted to give them our Omiyage.  They really seemed to like the boxes that I made and we didn’t even get to the Kona coffee, Trader Joes coffee and macnut candies that we brought.

BTW, Mr. Miya... picked us up in a Turbo Volvo station wagon.  The car really moves and he drives like he enjoys curvy roads.  When I asked Keiko if her father likes to drive fast, she said yes and that he used to own a BMW before.

They took us to the upper part of Nachi Falls, where we didn’t reach the last time after we used us our legs climbing the Cedar lined “one million steps” (I don’t know what the real name is).  We then went to Kumano.  There we way things that we would never have found on our own.  The air there was even more clear than that of Kii Katsuura.  Viewing the typhoon damage was really something.  What was especially impressionable was the amount of clean up that was done.  If that were the U.S., they would still be waiting for Federal disaster relief.  In some places, you could see that the water reached above the roads as there was debris about 10 feet higher than the roadway.  There was a HUGE Torii.   It is the largest that we have ever seen.

They took us lunch to a little Ramen place.  The dashii was so delicious that I finished up what JJ left behind.

After getting back to Kii Katsuura, we went to their store where we talked story and took some pictures.  Mrs. Miya...’s business neighbor even sang a song for us.  The Miya... ladies have a lot of exuberance and just seem so happy and full of life.

After a quick Onsen dip, we met them for dinner.  Unfortunately, because of their business, the Mrs. had to work.  We enjoyed a sushi dinner.  The chef even gave us a sample of Kumano Beef.  It was seared and served on sushi rice.  It’s flavor was buttery and it was really delicious.

We are back at Nakanoshima Hotel now and JJ is back at the Onsen.  We are really thankful that we made the trip to Kii Katsuura.  The Miya...’s really showed us what the Aloha spirit is all about.  Although we do not speak the same language, amazingly our hearts still manage to communicate.  To give you a better idea of the kind of people they are, when they drop us off at the shuttle boat that takes us to Nakanoshima Hotel, they will wait in the cold windy dock until the boat leaves.  Only after they wave and we are on our way do they leave.

For our friends Les and June, we hope they can make it here and enjoy the pilgrimage hiking trails in this area.  The clean, clear, crisp air and wonderful greenery will surely impress them.

The days are really flying by.  The pace has been slow enough where we still have a lot of energy left.  Tomorrow we leave for Osaka.  The Miya...’s gave us so many things that we forwarded one of our bags to Osaka.

Some interesting things we learned about the Miya...’s:

·        Mr. Miya... moved here from Tokyo.

·        They honeymooned in Hawaii.

·        Mr. Miya... loves fast cars.  He even had a “Nissan Starbird” or something like that.

·        He used to be a dental technician.

Saturday, Dec 10

Here we are on the Super Kuroshio Express.  After treating us to coffee at a local coffee shop, The Miya...’s saw us off at the train station   We all had a good laugh as Mrs. M went and bought Japan coffee for us to take home.  It was a bottle of Nescafe Instant coffee.  Mr. M said that it is probably a special Japan blend.  Mrs. M keeps on buying stuff for us so we finally told her that we were going to tie up her hands.  While we were in Kii Katsuura, we hardly spent any money.  They would even send us back to the hotel with beer, juice, snacks and water.

The family is just unreal.  The even bought train tickets so they could help us carry our bags and see us off at the train platform.  We hope that we get a chance to reciprocate when they come to Hawaii.  Their last words to us were of thanking us for visiting them.

Osaka is a bit more complicated than Kyoto to get around as there is no central train/subway station.  We did a walk around the hotel area and there are lots of small restaurants in the area, which is good.  The trains stations, while convenient, has large crowds that need to be contended with.  Personally, I don’t like waiting for my meals.

Sunday, Dec 11

The buffet breakfast was pretty good.  Also, for the first time in Japan, I tasted really good bacon.  It’s funny that in the U.S., we don’t think of Ramada Hotels as being a quality place.  But here in Japan, it’s quite nice.

We caught the subway to Osaka Castle.  The grounds were quite nice.  We then caught the subway to “Korea Town”.  We walked and walked, trying to find a Korean restaurant.  We finally gave up as many places were closed.  On the way back to the subway station, we got lucky.  We decided to go down an alley and when we reached the end, there was a narrow covered shopping area, like a mini-Nishiki market but with shops selling mostly merchandise instead of food.  We found a small Korean restaurant.  They didn’t have an English menu or speak English but a customer acted as our interpreter. 

I feel drained already.  I think that I am still on Hawaiian time (it’s 9:30 p.m.  there now).  I guess it’s good for when we go back home.

After a few beers, I got my second wind.  I talked JJ into going to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan where they have xmas lights.  It was an easy trip on the subway with only one change of line each way.  Besides the lights, we also saw a juggler who was quite entertaining.  On the way back, we stopped at a McDonalds where I got a cheeseburger.  It was surprisingly good and had a mayo/wasabi dressing.

Monday, Dec 13

We went to Kurishiki via subway, Shinkansen and local train.  One thing about Osaka, it really forced us to learn the subway and train system, which is great.  Kurashiki is a nice town.  Many historical places and it seems like there is a lot more to see.  We did look at this trip to Osaka as a primer so it’ll be good when we come back again.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in Japan for about 12 days now.  The time just flew by and we still have a lot of energy.  The pace that we kept was really good but don’t get me wrong, it will be great to be home again.  I miss our “Little People” and our warm waterbed.  We’re looking forward to spending time with Cole and Reyn at Waikoloa.  Then the xmas parties at the Muneno’s and Jakahi’s in Honolulu.  Then the beginning of 2012 and to wonder about all of the good things that will happen. 

For me and JJ, we are still amazed with the Miyazaki family and how they think about us and do so much for us.  And even though we don’t really know that much about each other, there seems so be a very deep bond between us.  “How you figguh?” 

But when we really think about it, we have really been blessed with friends who always think about us and who really treats us well.  To all of you, if you get this journal, you now know how much we value and appreciate your friendship.

This trip has been one of my favorites.  We learned more about friendship and also the joy of learning and seeing new things.  Life is good.  Let there is peace on earth and goodwill toward our fellow men and “little people”.

Tuesday, Dec 13

Our last day this year in Japan.  We had a super leisurely breakfast, then did our final packing and checked out.

We got directions to Dotomburi and Doguyasuji shopping district from the hotel’s concierge who spoke English reasonably well.  So we caught the subway and proceeded with our last adventure.  The hardest part of that trip was finding our way out of the subway station.  It was HUGE.  They even had a Starbucks, which JJ tried and said that it was stronger than what is sold in the U.S.

We finally got to the area that is noted for selling restaurant and kitchen goods.  It was spectacular.  They had everything from signs to lights.  JJ bought a couple of small items but this area alone makes us want to come back.

We the walked to Dotomburi where there is famous restaurant called Kani Doraku.  I thought that we should catch a cab as it looked like a long walk on the map.  When we got into a cab, the driver told us that it was so close that we should just cross the street and walk.  It turned out that he was right.  We ended up a famous crab restaurant.  We both had steamed King Crab for about $30.00 ea.  While the portions were small, it was super delicious.  Well worth the money.  As we were leaving the area, I noticed a Ramen stand across the street that had Kim Chee.  Can’t wait for our next trip.  I told JJ that I’d like to spend more time in Osaka on our next trip.

When we got back to the hotel and retrieved our bags, the consierge remembered us and asked how was our trip to Doyo……  Later on, she even got a couple of guys to help us with our bags to the cab.  Besides a very friendly and helpful staff, the Ramada is in a great location as the subway exit goes right into the airport.

After checking in, the lady told us that we could go to the ANA Lounge.  So we had dinner first at a Tonkatsu Restaurant.  Big mistake.  The pork was not seasoned and the food quickly became “boring” as the only flavor was from the sauce.  Worst 2500 yen meal we ever had.

At the lounge, we found sushi, soup, snacks, juice and BEER.  They sure know how to treat their elite customers.

What an enjoyable trip it has been.  The time has flown.  But time always flies when you’re having a good time…..or when you get older.  For all of you who read this, I leave you with my parting words:  “LIVE LIFE”. 

Have a great day.  And call us whenever you want to get together.  We look forward to bettering our friendship.

Early boarding/de-planing aircraft

Why is it that those passemgers who need to board the aircraft early because they need more time also de-plane early and hold up the rest of the passenger who need to make connecting flights, etc? How you figguh?