Japan June 2013 (Hakone, Gifu & Kyoto)

Japan

Summer 2013

Thursday and Friday, June20 and 21:

This trip is a perfect example of what I nickname “creep-ism”. It started by our finding low fares to Kyushu, about $730.00. Well, JJ started talking about catching the train to Mt. Fuji. A quick check on Hyperdia showed that travel time was about 8+ hours, each way.

We then thought about the problems in getting around Kyushu as it is not English speaking friendly. The bottom line is that the fares to Kyushu was not low enough to entice us.

JJ then found fares to Osaka for about $900.00. Not really low but still OK. We got our JR rail passes from a company on the mainland and they charged us only $5.00 shipping as compared to JTB in Honolulu who charged us $25.00 the last time. The exchange rate is really good too!

People often ask us about traveling on our own in Japan. To the beginner, I guess the task seems daunting. It's not. The trick is baby steps.

• Start off by going on a guided tour. But arrange it so you arrive two days ahead. The benefits of doing this are several. First, you will be acclimated to the time difference and be ready to run when the tour gets in. Just be sure to stay in the same hotel as the tour. The other benefit is that you will get an opportunity to plan and be on your own for a couple of days. Note that we recommend going ahead versus leaving later. For the newbie, it's easier to return with an escort, getting to the airport, going through check-in, customs, etc.
• As you get more experienced, the next step is to have a travel agent take care of all your plans, including hotels, rail pass and travel schedule. Airline reservations can be handled by them or you but if you take care of it yourself, you will be able to get better airfare rates. We highly recommend Tours By Charley as they specialize in this. Their fees are only $50.00 per person for this service (at the time of this writing).
• After a few times, you are finally ready to go on your own. At this point, you will need several personal attributes to accomplish an enjoyable and stress free (well, relatively) trip. They are:
• You need to be able to “go with the flow”. When stuff happens, you need to look at it as a learning experience or whatever you usually do in stressful situations. If your normal reaction is to go bonkers, then this is not for you. Then, on the other hand, it's an opportunity for you to change your reaction to difficult situations.
• You have to enjoy adventure and the unpredictable or at least be able enjoy looking back and laughing at your misadventures.
• You need to enjoy learning.
• You do not have to be fearless. After all, you're in Japan, the safest place to be in other than your own home. The worse that can happen is that you will not make it back to your hotel and have to stay and pay for additional lodging for the night (and perhaps get a chance to sleep in a “Love Hotel”). What a story to tell the kids!

The Gains:

• A sense of accomplishment.
• More time sightseeing and seeing each site in more detail.
• Less time getting from place to place. Most tours cover so much ground during the tour so you spend most of our time on the bus.
• About 30 percent less cost.
• You may get a chance to make new friendships with local Japanese people.

The Negatives:

• You WILL GET LOST.
• Much more walking as public transportation may not be able to get you to the site as close as the tour buses. But what a great way to get your exercise.

Ah, sorry for digressing. One of the characteristics of old age. Back to our trip.

Traveling now is a bit more difficult as our normal “stand by” sitter is in Honolulu tending to a family member. Luckily, our neighbor, who is really afraid of animals, stepped up and agreed to cat sit if the need arose. These neighbors were one of the few who helped feed me when JJ was away helping our son and his wife baby sit their twin boys. Living next to them is ALMOST as good as winning the lottery.

Interestingly enough, her grandson loves cats and may help her if the need arises.

But the most amazing thing is that our neighbors down the street, who we barely knew, readily accepted the responsibility of cat sitting when we asked if their daughter would be interested in a part time job. They told us that their daughter may be away some of the time but that they would gladly help us out. What is really amazing to us is that they will keep the three “little people” company until they are done eating. When we think about it, our greatest wealth is knowing people who are more than willing to help us out, especially with the ”little people”. They enable us to travel and enjoy each other while we are healthy enough to do so.

When we were returning from Vegas last month, there was a movie that I wanted to watch. However, although my Pualani card should have enabled me to watch it for free (one of the few perks of being a loyal Hawaiian customer), it wouldn't work. I asked the steward for help and after he couldn’t get it to work, he told me that he would manually enable the movie. Needless to say, it never worked and I fell asleep. But I figured that it may be better to watch it on our next trip to Japan the following month.

HA sure fooled me! They have the same basic movies that were playing two months ago, with a few new Japanese movies. HYF?

The meal too was nothing to write about. When opening the foil, I noticed that the bottom (original) foil was torn in a few places. It caused the rice to be a little hard in places. But, it was better than their Mainland route food and better than the Korean chicken we purchased in Hilo. Good thing JJ made her delicious Spam Musubi!

Just before we landed, they served us a cold Teri sandwich. The best part about it was the lettuce. The food that they serve on HA is really negative advertising for Chef Chai. I would be very reluctant to visit his restaurant even if he treated us.

I made our MK Shuttle reservations on line but never got a confirmation. I even tried it again two days before we left Hawaii. So when we got to KIX, we decided to check with them to see if we could go with them to our hotel. Luckily, they had our reservations printed up. We landed about 6:00 p.m. And finally reached our hotel at 9:00.

Upon checking in at the Doormy Inn, we inquired about joining their loyalty program but could not get past the language barrier. The singing noodles were really great. However, I admit that I was still a bit of a grouch after that and only wanted to sleep.

Saturday:

I got up at about 4:00 a.m. JJ wants to get up at 6:00 as we travel to Hakone today, after we run some errands.

Breakfast was as good as the last time. I actually have to force myself to stop eating. Luckily, using Google translator, we found out that the hotel will store one of our bags until we return for four more nights. So we ended up having to transfer just one bag to Gifu. However, even the English-Japanese translation on the hotel's website could not clear up the confusion of us trying to become members of “hotespa”. After reading it again, I think that it's not a frequent guest perk as JJ had believed. I think it is just a term used for making web reservations.

We mailed the box of candy to our friends in Kii Katsuura, then went shopping for an LED lamp for me to use in the early mornings.

My plan of using small LED lights clipped on to my laptop was not very successful. The beam was too narrow. My laptop, which is actually a gaming laptop, would be perfect if it had a back-lit keyboard and an IBM type trackpoint instead of a trackpad. We found a perfect LED lamp at Muji, just as I remembered. It will also run on 4 AA batteries. JJ had a great idea in getting it now as I'll get to use it for the whole trip instead of only the last 4 nights.

While shopping, we stored the rest of our bags at the train station. The bags were a 22 in. carry-on for JJ, two large woman’s bags for JJ, my backpack, my CPAP and my camera bag! This is in spite of our forwarding one large suitcase to Gifu and having the hotel in Kyoto store another large suitcase. Maybe I'll listen to JJ and try to pack my gear in a 22 inch carry-on for traveling. Travel lighter? Too easy. Not the Jakahi way.

The plan was to redeem our rail passes, then to shopping. Unfortunately, I forgot the rail pass docs in my backpack. As I was about to go back for them, JJ said that maybe the locks will reset if I open the locker and we would have to pay 600 Y more. Good thing I listened as when we went back after shopping, the lock indeed reset as soon as I opened the locker.

We are on the Shinkansen now, on our way to Hakone. It's about a 2 ½ hour trip. Our hotel, the Yumoto-Fujiya, is located very close to the train station. It sits along side of a river and the rooms are comfortable and roomy. The rooms are roomy? HYF?

The lesson we learned in Kona, of always bringing prints of on-line travel reservations, a few years ago really paid off as it quickly helped clear up a possible difference in hotel rates.

The town is small and very visitor oriented. Rich too. I saw two BMWs and a Porche, not to mention a few Mercedes. Still no Vettes, though.

We were looking for the tourist info center that I saw when we were walking toward our hotel. We did not see it until we were returning and it was already closed by then. We ate dinner at a small local Izakaya. I had a Sashimi dinner and JJ ate a Pork-Kimchee dish and Ochazuke. My meal looked better than it tasted but JJ really enjoyed hers. The people working there were really nice and the atmosphere was good too. There were jars of Ume and pickled ginger being cured on the bar top, and old Japanese decorations around the room. They must get quite busy later in the evening as when we were there, there were more workers than customers.

Sunday:

Got up at 4:00 a.m. We really haven't made any solid plans for today, including breakfast. The breakfasts at the hotel are quite pricey, about $25.00/person.

We walked the town looking for a place to eat breakfast. We found one place that had an “open” sign but it was closed. We saw a lady who was opening what looked like a restaurant but it turned out to be a sweet shop. She conferred with her coworkers and they agreed that we would have to catch the train to Odawara to find a restaurant in the train station. We found a place in the train station here that opens at 8:00 a.m. so we'll try that place on Monday. No wonder why our hotel can get away with $25.00 dollar breakfasts!

It seems as thought we did a lot, but only ended up seeing two places. Most of our time was spent traveling on the ropeways that connect one spot to another. The first place was a sulfur bank which is known for boiling eggs that turn black. I ended up waiting for JJ after I got a whiff of sulfur and was afraid of getting an asthma attack. I don't really know if I’m asthmatic or just allergic to sulfur but once when I was taking mainland, work related guests to the volcano area, I started wheezing and it seemed like my windpipe was squeezing shut when I smelled sulfur It cleared up after we got to clean air.

So I'm waiting in a fork of the path, just enjoying people watching and eating some chocolate. I see JJ walking on the other side of the path, eating an ice cream cone. She don’t look around and starts walking up the stairs, when I finally call out to her. I told her that I was surprised that she didn't look for me at the fork as there were three choices so logically, I would wait there. She said she expected me to be at the top where the view is better. HYF? After being married for almost 50 years, she still doesn't know how I think. Now I may be wrong but the only person that I know who is more logical than me is Mr. Spock!

We then catch another ropeway to another town to catch a bus to the botanical gardens. We stopped by a restaurant that had a very scenic view of Lake Ashinko. We paid more for the view than the lunch as my beef stew, JJ's Curry Tonkatsu, a beer and soda cost almost $40.00.

After getting off the bus to get to the botanical gardens, we stopped by a Lawsons to get directions and the girl tells us it's about a twenty minute walk. We start walking and see a cab so we catch it. Turns out that the walk would have taken more than 20 minutes. And we would probably have gotten lost as this area is really “country”.

The gardens were very tranquil and would be very interesting to anyone who enjoys plants. Needless to say, I got quickly bored. It would have been perfect if I had a very cold Asahi, sitting in the shade watching the world go by.

For the most part, the humidity has not bothered me at all. But at this marshy botanical garden, it was muggy and very uncomfortable.

Our plan was to go back to the bus terminal, then transfer to another bus to to to Mt. Komakadate, where our brother in law and my sister told us about the best koko that they ever ate. They told us that their tour guide did her personal omiyage shopping there at a little gift shop in the, well, basically, middle of nowhere. They said that we had to go up the ropeway and when we reach to top, walk down a hill and there would be the gift shop. I kept on wondering, how can a business stay afloat, selling their product at only one location in the middle of nowhere?

Earlier in the day, when we visited the tourist info office, everyone was surprised that we wanted to go there just to purchase koko. They even told us that what we wanted was a famous brand in the area (we had pictures). But we thought that it would be better to get the “real thing” and would try anyway. Now this is for my older sister, who when we were little kids, fooled me into believing I was so special because the one box of shredded wheat in the Kellogg Variety Pack was reserved for me. She would not eat it herself nor allow my brother Dennis to touch it. Well, maybe it worked as I still believe that I'm special! Ah, I digress again, sorry.

So we get back to the terminal and JJ see's the guy who helped her earlier. He even remembered her but I'll let her tell you that story herself :-). He said that it was almost time for the last bus to Komakadate and suggested that we not go.

Although it was still early in the afternoon, we decided to go back to Hakone-Yumoto and shop around town. The bus ride was fast until about the last ½ hour when it was stop and go. When we finally reached town, there was no obvious cause of the traffic jam expect cars stopping for pedestrians, whose crossing were at least two times a minute.

After feasting on a cold Asahi and the blackened boiled egg, which were delicious, we went to town. The lady at the first shop that we showed the picture to said that she had something similar and showed us what she had. Then she said, wait, follow me. She then took us to another shop and told the owners that we wanted to purchase a particular koko that they sold. This shop had exactly what we were looking for. I'm still amazed every time that people in Japan will go out of their way to be nice to others. Which reminds me, when we got on the first ropeway, had this English speaking (looked mainland oriental) family on the same tram. The father loudly exclaims, “I love this” to his little girl. Then he loudly says, “isn't it nice and quiet?”. HYF?

We went back to the same Izakaya (are you not surprised) for dinner and were treated like regulars. Upon entering, the owner told us to sit at the bar. The place quickly filled up and there was a really energetic, joyous atmosphere. There was also a wide range of age groups. It was quite a change from the first night when the atmosphere was quiet and friendly.

We split a Pork-Kimchee and JJ had her favorite Ochazuke while I enjoyed plain chazuke and two Asahi drafts. Full tummy and a cold beer, life doesn't get much better than that.

BTW, I know that all of you know that HYF means “how you figgah!”, but tell you anyway. Good night. Lots of rich people must visit here. I saw more BMW, Mrecedes and Volvo's today than I see in Hawaii in a month.

Monday:

  

Up at 4:00. How I love this quiet time. Just me, the purr of the laptop fan, and the glow of my LED lamp. Munching on snacks and typing away at the keyboard.

Story I just remembered. The hotel has the typical free amenities for guests. Toothbrush, razor, and soap. So JJ asks me, “I wonder if we can take the towels that are in the basket with the other things?” I tel her, “no way, not towels”. She says, “but it's only furo towels and there are even bags to put them in”. I tell her why would she want the towels that she would probably never use and then have to explain to her friends that she did not steal them? I don't have to tell you where they are now.

BTW, some of you travel a lot and probably have a collection of these free amenities. Personally, I prefer to use Neutrogena shampoo and soap at home. So what we do is after we have enough to donate, we take it to the Turning Point for Families, located in the Yamanaka Bldg., by Wailoa River. They are always happy to receive these necessities, although I don't know about furo towels with the hotel name on them . ^)_(^ (this is a japanese emoticon for smiling old man)

We had a very leisurely start and walked across the bridge to the train station for breakfast at the coffee shop. We stopped on the bridge to watch a guy fishing. He looked like he knew what he was doing, handling his super long pole with dexterity and grace. He was using live bait that looked about 3-5 inches long (kinda looked like a big O'oama). I really wanted to see how big a fish he was going to catch with that big bait but my hunger was stronger than my curiosity. He also proved to be a real “Talerla” when he carelessly tossed his cigarette into the very water that he was fishing in. HYF?

The restaurant in the train station was more of a bakery. Besides sweets, they also had the pastries with meat in them that is common in Japan. But the real story is not about the food. I asked what is the strongest coffee that they had. The lady says “Espresso” so I order two. So we get these two big cups filled with about 1 ½ inches of coffee. Yup, real Espresso. Even for me and JJ, it's to strong. So I go back and ask if I can buy two more American coffees to fill our cups, which the lady gladly did. Although the coffee was pretty good, it should be after paying a total of 1440 Y for two cups.

The restaurant had a large window between the dining area and the train station. It seemed as though we were the entertainment for the people going down the escalator and they, ours.

This area is very tourist friendly. There are many visitor info places and even the bus stations have people to help you get on the right bus. Even the bus drivers spend time, patiently giving people directions. Our driver today was very impressive in his skills of negotiation the winding, narrow road to Hakone Checkpoint. It was as if he knew the road like the back of his hand. It would be a lot of fun to have him drive me on the same road in a Vette. I was hoping to shoot a video of his driving but there were too many people standing to get a good shot.

We ate lunch at a small local restaurant. My lunch was interesting in that it featured what I think is spooned meat from the Tuna bones, over a bowl of rice, and finished with green onion and slivered pieces of nori. I thought that the flavor of the nori overpowered the fish but overall, it was nice and satisfying. JJ had a chicken donburi and seemed pretty happy with her choice too. We both like the koko but I thought the seaweed to be much to bold for me.

JJ started to write a daily journal too and what's interesting is that she writes like how I talk; short, concise and to the point and I write like how she talks; long, meandering and often drifting off subject. HYF?

JJ has always enjoyed writing but was too lazy to learn to use a computer. Except when she wanted to start a newsletter for the East Hawaii Rose Society. Can you believe she went from being completely computer illiterate to setting up a newsletter using MS Publisher? After that, she went back to being computer illiterate until she got her Ipad. Speaking of which, I can't understand how anyone can choose an Ipad over a laptop PC. I tried but that virtual keyboard drove me bonkers, back to PCs for me.

One of the people on my list said that the travel hints were good and the now need to find the time and money. I think that she was half joking but I have a story to share with you all. Recently, we visited a small specialty store in Hilo to renew my stash of “goodies”. When the lady saw me and JJ, she asked about our travels then started to tear up slightly. She started to tell us how she and her husband, who passed away about 2 years ago, always talked about going to Japan but never went because of the business. She now tells her children, don't worry about money, spend time enjoying life with your family. She hopes to go to a temple in Asia to find peace.

My dad got a stroke on his last working day. Fortunately for him, he loved running his business yet still found time for his family. But he never traveled to far away places. JJ's father also died even before he could retire. Both JJ and I agree that we need to live life without regrets as that is the lesson our fathers taught us. But we do make choices and budget, such as not spending 5000 Y for breakfast. End of lecture. But see what I mean about long, meandering and drifting off subject?

We visited the Hakone Checkpoint and it was quite interesting. What was most interesting was that there was a statue of two women. I thought that the woman standing was doing the hair of the woman sitting. Then JJ tells me, look at the expression of the lady. I look and I see the woman standing looking angry. Then JJ says, “doesn't she look worried?”. She then explains that the woman sitting is being searched. Hakone CHECKPOINT, Dahhhhh! Sometimes JJ really surprises me with her perceptions and logic or perhaps I am starting to “lose it”. Doing her hair. HYF?

Climbing the stairs to the guardhouse was interesting. The spacing and rise made going up fairly easy (considering the steepness of the climb) but made going back down really difficult. We enjoyed sitting on the bench and resting and just taking in the view. Even with people walking around and talking, it's amazing how tranquil this place is.

After walking along a portion of the old Tokaido Road, it abruptly ended. The plan was to walk further to a famous teahouse, but after asking for directions, we decided to forgo that plan. Good thing is by the time we got to the bus terminal, there was only one more hour of service. We may have ended up stuck at the teahouse overnight!

Back in Hakone, again the owner of our favorite restaurant greeted us as special customers. He jokingly asked if we wanted the pork kimchee again. Surprised him by asking if he had Tako Karaage. He said no but he could make it for us. So I ordered Tako and Chicken Karaage which turned out to be quite good. JJ had her favorite Ochazuke.

As soon as we got back to the hotel, I took a nap so we could look for fireflies after JJ's onsen. We followed that path along the river and saw some people in the dark so we knew that we were on the right track. At the end of the path, a man pointed and showed us a single firefly. We stayed for a while and saw several. The ones flying were the most impressive to see. For that short magical moment, we were all transferred back to our childhood, where nature’s simple creations held us in wondrous awe. Nothing else mattered except seeing one more firefly. HYF?

Tuesday:

As we were enjoying our breakfast at the Bakery in the train station, we got to see a local TV show being produced. The most amazing thing is to watch the “star” suddenly bloom to life as soon as the camera starts rolling.

The train to Gifu was typical. The speed of the Shinkansen still excites me and today, even more as we saw two of them speeding through the train station without stopping. Our transfer at Nagoya was a little funny. We had only about 10 minutes to catch the local train to Gifu. We quickly made our way to the correct platform (that I had researched on Hyperdia the night before). We find the correct platform, see the time for our train with an arrow point to what we thought was the direction that the train was going (we see this in subways a lot). It doesn't occur to us that we are the only ones waiting! I don't know what made us stand up and look around, but then we see a train in the direction that the arrow is pointing, just leaving. Fortunately, we had to wait only about 15 minutes more before the next train.

The Dormy Inn is about an 8 min. walk from the train station. Upon checking in, JJ inquired about the Ukai (Cormorant) fishing and they even called the ticket office for us to make reservations. They told us that the place is about a 20 minute drive from the hotel.

We decided to eat lunch at the train station then catch a bus to the fishing site. At the Ekimae (train station), we saw a Mosburgur and having heard so much about them, decided to eat there. I found the burger to be bland, but the ketchup had chunks of tomato in it that made it quite interesting. Overall, the sensation was of softness with the ketchup adding some brightness to the patty that was covered with chopped round onions and cheese. JJ even had a second one! We were served by an elderly lady who greeted everyone with an “Ohio” and a friendly smile. When there were no customers, she would go around and clean up and pick up used trays from tables.

At the bus info center, I was told that they do not have an English bus schedule and route map. But, they told us which stop number to wait at and it was easy to catch the correct bus. The buses here are really small, compared to other cities.

We arrived really early for our scheduled reservation. There were many workers there as well as volunteer guides. One of them came up to us and he spoke English very well. His regular job is an elementary science teacher.

Another worker told us that we should go on the boat early and to seat in the front. At first, he wanted to use our belongings to reserve our seats but I didn't quite understand his intent. We got on the boat about ½ hour before departure and as soon as we were seated, the rest of the people started boarding.

Some boat have outboard motors on them but ours was propelled by two men in front with bamboo staffs, and a rudder man in the back with a similar stick. The men in front would go to the very front, plat their staff on the bottom of the river, then walk toward the back of the boat. There were twenty plus people on board so the load was quite heavy. Just before the Ukai boats come down the river where we were waiting, there was a boatload of kimono clad young ladies performing on a specially outfitted boat. Then there were four aerial firework bursts to signify the beginning of the fishing.

It was quite impressive to see the large burning torch, trailing a tail of flowing red hot embers. We could see the “leashes” that tethered the bird splayed out in a fan pattern and amazingly, there were no tangles. Each Ukai fisherman controlled about 7 birds.

Our guide told us that the smarter birds will catch smaller fishes that they can swallow. The practice, which is about 1300 years old, was the most efficient way of catching fish before the development of nets, etc. It is truly amazing that they kept this cultural gem alive to this day. It was truly a spectacular show to watch.

I asked our guide about fireflies in the area. He said there were a few around but only in the more isolated areas. He went on to say that twenty years ago, there were numerous fireflies even in the area that we were and it could be that the wide use of pesticides caused their dwindling numbers.

After the show, we decided to catch the bus back to the Gifu Ekimae. Here in Japan, we don't even hesitate to be out at night, waiting to catch a bus. At first, there were only three of us waiting but more people started waiting after a few minutes. The bus fare was only 200 Y each way, for each of us. We were quite proud of the fact that we didn't have to rely on a taxi to take us back.

We got back to our hotel just in time for a quick Asahi for me, an Apple juice for JJ, then feast on my favorite “singing noodles”. After a short rest, JJ went to the Onsen. Dormy Inn is the best!

It's about 10:00 now. Good night.

PS: Many of the Ukai boats had Photo Voltaic panels on the roofs. I was told that they are used to charge the batteries used to light up the boats at night.

The boat that we were on was specially constructed for use by the Royal family when they visited last year.

Wednesday:

The one time that JJ is not carrying her spare eyeglasses (they're in Kyoto), her glasses break. The nosepad completely broke on her brand new titanium framed glasses. The pads are made of plastic and the part that is held in by a small screw broke. Fortunately, I saw that the nosepad on my spare might fit in hers. So using the only screwdriver set that I carry around (came with my computer), I managed to remove both teeny weeny little screws on each frame. As I started to insert the screw into JJ's frame, I dropped it onto the carpet. Uh oh! Fortunately, using the new LED lamp that JJ told me to buy n Kyoto, I managed to find it. Isn't it amazing how things work out?

The Dormy Inn that we're staying in has a strange setup. The front desk is on the 6^th floor. It was a bit confusing when we first got here. When using the elevator, it will always stop on the 6^th floor so the staff can see who is going up or down from the rooms.

We didn't realize how late we were for breakfast until we noticed that we were the only ones left. We left the restaurant at 9:00 and when we saw the sign in elevator, sure enough, they stop serving at 9:00.

When I first saw the meager sampling of food on the first table, I thought that the food choices would be really limited. I didn't realize until I saw the other tables with much more choices. The food was varied and tasty. Tomorrow, we plan to go down earlier so we won't feel rushed.

Our hotel, which is very close to the train station, has unusual neighbors. There are some very old buildings in disrepair right across the street. It appears that Gifu is in the middle of a transition period from the very old to the very new. The contrast in buildings just across the street from each other is amazing.

It's a good thing that we went to the Ukai performance last night as it is raining this morning. BTW, we found out that it is better to go on the earlier boats as they go farther up the river with the fishermen and get to see more.

We plan on going to Gujohachiman where they are famous for making food replicas for restaurants all over Japan. When we got to the station window, the agent is talking on the phone so I ask JJ to wait for him while I see if I can figure out how to buy the tickets as there was no “English” button. Just when I look back towards JJ, the agent is talking to her but she is looking around and not paying attention to him (kinda resembling Tweetie Bird when she just hatched). This is in spite of knowing that we had only and 8 minute window to buy our tickets and get on the train. HYF? ^)_(^ (in case you forgot, smiley old man)

I told the agent that we wanted to purchase train tickets and he quickly came out to help us and get us on the train. The train to Gugihachiman was comprised of a single car. When we got to the end, there were only three of us left.

We saw both replica places that are well known in the area. The first, Iwasaki, had a small entry fee but gave each of us a souvenir and also had a short demo. I think that JJ's mom would have really been good at doing this. We then walked around, hoping to find a museum that JJ was interested in or a place to eat lunch. We asked an old guy we saw if he knew where the museum was but I think that he didn't know the word museum. We kept walking until we stumbled upon an Unagi restaurant. JJ ate the Unagi which she described as really good and I ate an Ayu, which I would describe as kinda bland. It doesn't even come close to Aholehole or Moi. The fish was also not cleaned and portions of it was really bitter (and I think that they also call Ayu “sweetfish” HYF?). I got some deep fried fish bones for an appetizer for my beer and that was delicious, tasting like pork rinds with a very nice crunch. The various koko dishes were also quite good.

After lunch, we caught a cab to the City Museum. When we first got there, there was a demo of local dancing (looked like Bon Dancing). The two ladies were sure light on their feet, even dancing wearing “Geta”. I mistakenly wanted to get out of there and see the display of the local water source. Although we were lead to believe that there were English explanations, the only English I saw was the word “Route” with an arrow(the suggested route for touring the museum). HYF?

We then walked back to town to shop. It was really spooky, walking around. The streets are very narrow, without sidewalks and everyone drives like a crazy woman driver they are in a road race. It was especially difficult as the umbrellas we were forced to use really hindered our visibility and movements. This town might be good to visit for a few nights on a clear and sunny day. We saw many houses with snow brakes on the roofs so it must get really cold in the winter. If it rained this much in the summer, the spring must be very wet as well.

It'll be a long ride back to Gifu. We should be arriving there about 7:30 p.m. BTW, we are doing the same thing we tell tourists in Hawaii not to do. That is, go somewhere without letting anyone know where we are going. At least, we should leave a note in our hotel room before we leave. Imagine what would happen if we got lost or hurt. Our families wouldn't even have a clue where we went.

Normally, when we travel, I really miss my wood working and our pets. However, on this trip, I am just enjoying the time and experiences that we've had. Don't know if I’m getting lazy or not. If it weren't for the little people, I think I could really enjoy staying here longer.

BTW, when we were waiting for our boat go see the Ukai, our guide told us that he's visited Hawaii several times. I asked him is he noticed that people in Japan are friendlier than Hawaii people and he said yes. Aloha spirit? HYF? Ever notice the difference between Japan and Hawaii immigration and customs workers when you return to Hawaii?

I wanted to try out a riceburger at Mosburger that I read about. However, they only offered it with shrimp, chicken or vegetable, no beef. Now that I think about it, I should have tried the shrimp but ordered a cheeseburger. We also tried a hotdog,whose flavor I found to be a bit to bold for my tastes. Medium Cokes (which are actually very small with lots of ice) are 200+ Y each. I guess that's how they make their money. I'm also amazed that a large chain like Mosburger does not have an English menu. Somebody, there is a great business opportunity here. If I could only knew more than “Nihongo wakarimasen”.

After dinner, JJ went to the Onsen while I enjoyed two large beers, one Asahi and one Kirin. Then off to enjoy the singing noodles. Tonight’s was somehow extra delicious with the noodles cooked a perfect al dente.

Tomorrow, we head for Kyoto for our last four nights. If it's sunny, we'll explore Gifu as Kyoto is only about an hour away and we cannot check in until 3:00.

I forgot to mention that in Hakone-Yumoto, which is known for their marquetry, I found a box that was a bank that featured the marquetry artwork on the outside and was also a puzzle that takes 10 steps to open. It was a bit pricey but the workmanship and the magic just captivated me; and the store accepted Visa!

Good night. ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪ (Gangnam style happy face)

Thursday:

After breakfast, we packed and checked out. We decided to store our bags at the train station to avoid having to come back to the hotel. We also decided to pack everything we could in the large suitcase that was forwarded here and handle it ourselves on the train as we wold be traveling during the off peak times. The coin lockers only took 100 Y coins but I could not find a money changing machine to break my 1000 Y bill. HYF? Fortunately, the staff at Mr. Donut came through and made change for me. One of the best reasons for traveling is that I really believe that it makes us better human beings, if we practice the kindnesses and courtesies extended to us.

We caught the bus to the Gifu Castle area and walked around the old village adjacent to the Ukai fishing area. Almost every store was closed so we continued walking to the castle.

Gifu Park is a very large one so we decided to just concentrate on the castle. If we follow our normal MO, we should be back here several more times. It's amazing how much the weather changed in 24 hours. Today is bright and sunny. We saw some low, dark clouds like we often see in Hilo but they just drifted away and let the sun through.

We caught the rope-way to the castle. The climb is pretty steep via the rope-way so I can just imagine doing it on foot. It must be a meandering path. Even from the top of the rope-way terminus, the climb to the castle was steep. The castle was very small and surprisingly, there was only a slight breeze blowing. The view was fantastic although there was a bit of haze in the air.

Getting back down the rock steps was harder than going up as the rise between steps was pretty high. The guard rail was also pretty low and I'm surprised that JJ didn't get freaked out. It's a good thing that we both exercise at home. I think that one of the reasons that the humidity doesn't bother me is that I don't perspire much. Maybe it's because I don't have too much hair on my head and my large brain is like a car's radiator! True fac (not mis-spelled).

JJ had a shaved ice at the rest stop and I just sat and watched her eat as I refused to pay 350 Y for an Asahi from a vending machine. The ice was very coarsely shaven but JJ said that the syrup was nice and sweet.

We caught the bus back to the Gifu Ekimae and ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We ordered a crab fried rice that was really tasty, Pork-Kimchee that JJ didn't like, and deep fried chicken wings that I thought a bit bold in flavor. Even with a large Asahi, the tab was only 2000 Y. Better overall than Mosburger.

The train ride to Kyoto was uneventful and we arrived about 4:00 p.m. Are we getting good or are we getting great?

Our room at the Dormy Inn is much larger that our room at this same hotel, our first night here. It's so familiar that it's almost like being at home.

We planned on picking up a light dinner at the train station but while walking toward it, we saw an Izakaya. When we entered, they told us to go upstairs. They were quite busy and JJ was the only woman, other than our waitress, that I saw there. But the atmosphere was so cordial that she never felt out of place. It was a good dinner for only 2250 Y. We had a super large draft Asahi, grilled chicken and grilled Ika.

I got a sore neck while sleeping on the train and a sore back from sleeping on the bed at our last hotel. I have a reservation for a massage while JJ is at the Onsen. After that, it's Singing Noodles time.

We have one more day left on our rail pass so we plan on going to Iwakuni tomorrow to feast on Apple Ice cream. It's a three hour trip each way so hopefully, JJ will eat more than 1 or 2 apple ice creams.

My neck feels a lot better but my back still hurts. I tried some Aikido back rolls and that helped a little. What I really need is a high, flat area that I can lie down on and let each leg hang down, separately, to stretch my back. Oh how I miss our waterbed.

Good night. ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪

Friday:

Today is the last day of our JR rail pass so we plan on going to Iwakuni so JJ can eat her favorite apple ice cream.

We ended up buying the breakfast at our hotel for 1500 Y each. It's well worth it as long as you don't rush through it. I really love the tofu, all the different koko and their vegetable juice which tastes a lot better than it sounds. For dessert, they have cubes of mochi and best of all, cubes of the most delicious dark chocolate.

On our way down, when the elevator door opened, there's this two haole guys inside. I ask, “going down?”. He replies, “Hai”. We get in and I say, you speak Japanese better than I do! Talk about shock effect. We have a brief conversation and it turns out that he is married to a Japanese National that he met in college, she works in Manhattan (must be smart) and after dropping off their daughter in Yokohama with her parents, he and his brother are touring Japan.

Later on, we found out that their daughter (8 yrs old) works as a model. His brother was wondering how we spoke English so well. Sometimes, I get so tempted to say, “Engrish visitor, you must be wondering why I speak your ranguage so well. I was educated in your country at UCRA”. ^)_(^

My back was still hurting. Fortunately, the chairs at the restaurant where we ate breakfast was just the purrfect (you think I like cats?) height for pressing on my spine where my back hurt. Talk about relief. The 3000 Y that we spent for breakfast was better than the 3000 Y that I spend for the massage the night before.

I get this sore back every so often at home. It's caused by curving my back when I’m on the computer. However, at home, I can use our Inada massage chair and the rollers seem to re-alight my spine. So I leave the computer feeling crippled and leave the chair healed. I guess at this moment, I miss our “little people”, our waterbed and massage chair. I miss all of you too.....”liar, liar, pants on fire”.

The ride down to Iwakuni without event. At the Hiroshima ekimae, this haole lady asks me if the train we were catching goes to Miyajima. She has a look of shock when I reply that I don't know for sure but I did see a sign that read “to Miyajima”. Then I told her that if she has a rail pass, don't worry. She must be thinking, that guy spoke English well.

When we get to Iwakuni, we decided to catch the bus to the Kintai Bridge instead of a taxi. The last time we did this, we spent over 5000 Y for cab fare. We walk a short distance to the bus station and purchase our tickets. Meanwhile, I overhear this black girl asking the agent about tickets and times of bus service to the bridge.

After we board the bus, I see the black lady's family waiting in the waiting area. Everyone else has boarded the bus. Finally, I go to the door and yell, “hey guys, are you going to the bridge? They say “yes”. I tell them, “this is the bus”. They looked a little shocked but were very thankful for the advice and the lady even told me “arigato”. I was so tempted to ask them if they wanted an “Engrish speaking guide”.

I got to taste the apple ice cream that JJ was so passionate about. She said that it was not the same as she remembers and it seemed “creamier”. I told her that if I did not know it was apple ice cream, I wouldn't know what flavor it was supposed to be. The next two ice creams that she ordered was mango. At least it tasted like mango.

We only had enough time for JJ to order and eat 4 or 5 ice creams before we had to go back to the ekimae. The only glitch we encountered going back to Kyoto was that in Hiroshima, I almost got us on the wrong train. Lesson learned:

• I am so used to just making it to our train that I just assumed the train waiting was our train. BIG MISTAKE. Ours was the next one. when you look at the electronic schedule at the platform, the top most one is the next train leaving. Score one for JJ for keeping us on the right train. I think that one of the things about getting older is that it is harder for our brains to “switch gears”.

After getting back to Kyoto, we ate dinner at the same Izakaya (does this sound familiar?). JJ ordered her Unagi which she said was quite good (and cost only 1200 Y). I tried their steamed clams and fried chicken. Both were ok. Tab with a super large Asahi draft was only about 3200 Y.

Gotta get ready for singing noodles. Good night. This staying up every night for the singing noodles is ruining my sleep patters. Everyday, I seem to be waking up a little later. Before we get back home, I might be on Japan time.

Saturday:

The weather today is clear and sunny. After eating breakfast at the Dormy Inn, we got ready to go to Tokufuji, Fujinomori and Uji. But first, we thought that we’d better cash a travelers check at the bank. When we got there, it was closed as we did not realize that it was Saturday. Still not a big prob as we still have 200+ to cover lunch and dinner and Omiyage if we find anything.

Today was a little tricky and we are riding on two different railway systems, JR and Keihan. We first go to Tokufuji as it is the closest. At first, we cannot find the shrine that has the flowers that JJ is looking for. So JJ shows a picture to the lady at the counter for the main area and is told that they have those flowers withing the area. We've been here twice before during the fall season, when the colors are brilliant. Talk about a letdown. The only good thing was that it was very tranquil. As far as the flowers that JJ was looking for, zero, nada, boofers, none......well, you get the picture.

While walking back to the ekimae, we come across the shrine that JJ is looking for. We go in but cannot figure out what the entry fee is or if there in only a restaurant there. Finally, we figure that JJ should go in by herself as at least she speaks a little Japanese. So while JJ is inside the garden, I’m outside checking out the foliage (Okinawan for good looking chicks). When JJ get back, turn out that the garden is a total loser. So on to Fujinomori to see the Fujinomori Temple.

We catch the Keihan train to Fujinomori and JJ asks the station agent which direction is the temple. He tell her that the next station is closer to the temple. So we get back on the train to go to Sumizome, which is the next stop. So, Fujinomori Temple is not in Fujinomori, it is in Sumizone. HYF?

As soon as we get off the train, we have no idea which direction to go. So we turn left, go down two doors and decide to ask them for directions. And if they do not brush us off, we'll have lunch there. So we go in and the owner starts to go outside to show us the way. I ask him to wait as we want to eat lunch first.

I ordered a Ramen and JJ ordered a Ramen, Gyoza combo. We both ate everything up. The food was absolutely delicious. While we were eating our lunch, the owner shows us a map that he drew to the Fujinomori Temple that is located in the town of Sumizome.

The walk to the temple took about 10-15 minutes. It was well worth the train ride and the walk to get there. The flowers were beautiful and brilliant. There were lots of young families there too. They may have had a festival last night and were cleaning up today. There was an arch for people to go through that signified leaving the bad behind and letting the good come in. There were a few young families taking their children though it. It they think that their kids are needy now, wait till they're teenagers!

On the way back, we stopped by the same restaurant (sound familiar) to see if I could order an Asahi before catching the train. They had a sign in the door (don't know what it said) but when they saw me looking in, invited us in. I enjoyed my Asahi and JJ her coke. Their son, who also owns a restaurant, was there also. We ended up having a grand conversation, in spite of the fact that we did not really know each others language. Their son had this really high tech looking bike. He said that he would like to enter the Triathlon but even though his biking and running are strong, he is a poor swimmer. Meeting this family was the frosting on the cake. As time is running out for the day, JJ decided to go to Uji tomorrow so she won't feel rushed.

Came back to the hotel exhausted. The constant lower back pain that I have is tiring me out. Walking on streets with an exaggerated side slope is not helping either. It wasn't we just reached our hotel that I was able to find a flat surface high enough to stretch my back. When we reached our room, I was just too tired to do anything, including dinner and my favorite singing noodles. I slept from 6:00 yesterday to 4:30 this morning. I plan on taking one of my 800 mg Ibuprofen today.

Sunday:

Caught the train to Uji as planned. JJ got instruction from the “web” on how to get to Mimurotoji Temple. After getting out of the train station, we were to catch bus #45. Unfortunately, there was no bus #45. HYF?

So we start walking to the tourist info center and this nice old lady asks us where we are going. We tell her Mimurotoji and another guy comes over to help us (I had just passed him earlier with my “nihongo wakarimasen” when he tried to pass me a pamphlet). They tell us (in Japanese) that there is a bus that goes there (I think) but that there is still a long walk to get to the temple. He goes over to the tourist info center to get a map and show us. They suggest that we catch a cab.

I see bus stops on the map but against my better judgment, so as to not hurt their feelings, we follow the guy to the taxi stand where he talks to the driver. After a short ride, which cost only 730 Y, we reach the temple. I then realize that for such a short trip, we are better off catching a cab as for only about 330 Y more, we got dropped off right at the entrance. So much for my “better judgement”.

We spent quite a bit of time at the temple. The grounds were quite large, and the blooms many and reminded me of Josephs Technicolored Dreamcoat. There were red, pink, blue, purple and white blossoms. The only colors missing were orange and yellow.

We found a little pagoda that people were eating lunch so we stopped there to eat our bento that we bought from the Kyoto ekimae. All in all, it was well worth the effort to get there.

We tried to catch a cab back to town but after waiting about 15 minutes, we gave up and started walking down the gentle slope toward the main street in the hope of catching a bus. After a bus passed our bus stop without stopping, we decided to flag down the next cab that we saw. Only after we go in the cab and drove for a few minutes did we realize how close we were to our next stop, Byodo-In temple. Hmm, wasn't it only a coupe of days ago that I said “are we getting good or are we getting great?” Perhaps I should learn how “humility” is spelled.

That Ibuprofen really worked. I didn't feel even the normal burning in my thighs or the pain in my knees when climbing hills or stairs. If we ever get the chance to bring our grandsons here, that's what I'll need to keep up with them without pain. JJ will agree that I am a completely different person at the end of today as compared to yesterday. It's 4:55 now and I'm going to take a short nap so I can enjoy the singing noodles tonight.

It's hard to believe that we go back home tomorrow.

BTW, we always think that Japan is such a safe place to visit. But a couple of things that I've noticed makes me wonder if this is really true:

• The hotel changes the code for the woman’s onsen every night (I guess they think that perverts are single and do not have access to the code from their wives).
• There was a sign at the train station cautioning girls that someone may try and take a picture under their skirts when they are climbing stairs.

Hmmm, on a second thought, I guess this place is safe only for us guys. Sorry ladies.

We bought bento and sashimi at the ekimae and ate in our room. I finally got tired of eating at the Izakaya that we found near our hotel. I ate dinner while JJ was at the onsen and by the time she came back, I was sleeping. I got up at about 7:30 and waited until 9:00 to wake JJ up to go and feast on our last night of singing noodles. I got to eat about ½ of hers so I am stuffed right now.

After we land in Honolulu tomorrow, we have a several hour layover so we hope to have lunch with JJ's bro and sister in law and our son David and his new significant other, Janet. She seems the perfect woman for him as she has several traits in common with me. Before I go any further, I have to add that Dave is a lot like his mom, except with a temper. Being happy go lucky, they need someone like me or Janet, as we are very organized. I tell JJ that sometimes, she reminds me of a dog as she lives only in the moment. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong in being like a dog as they are loyal, beautiful, friendly and fun. But you have to admit, dogs don't plan well although living in the moment sure makes them happy. We put order in JJ's and David's lives although Janet is probably a lot better at not ruffling anyone's feathers. Interestingly enough, Janet and I share the same birthday, April 7. JJ and Dave have so many Aries in their lives, me, Janet, my sister Geo, our twin grandsons and even Dave's ex. Lucky, yeah?

Taking a nap and the Ibuprofen made all the difference for me today. At the end of yesterday, I would have told you that I'm ready to go home and I don't care if I come back anytime soon. Right now, I can say that I return home with mixed feelings. Although I look forward to our twin grandsons visiting us for two weeks a week from now, I'm sure going to miss the wonderful people of Japan. For the most part, they are courteous and they all seem to respect each other and follow the “Golden Rule” a lot better than most of us Americans.

Good night.

PS: Surprisingly, I still don't miss my “work”.

Monday:

The plan today is to visit the Kaleidoscope Museum, finish our Omiyage shopping at Nishiki, and eat lunch at Paris 21, which is located at the intersection of Nishiki and Teramachi Markets. Yes, it is the same restaurant that we go to on our last day in Kyoto. HYF?

BTW, the dining room in our hotel has a tv. It is amazingly sharp and clear as compared to any other tv that I've seen in the United States.

After checking out, we caught the subway to see the Kaleidoscope Museum. I didn't really look at the map that well and the museum appeared to be right at an intersection. We couldn't find it and JJ and I split up to find it. JJ gave me the impression that it was part of the Kyoto Museum so I went back to the main street to ask a guard where the Kyoto Museum was. What he told me was quite far from where we were. So I go back to find JJ and I see her walking away from me. I try and follow her and end up in a bike parking lot. No, I must have seen someone else. So I go back and wait, and wait and wait. She finally returns and tells me that someone showed her where the Kaleidoscope Museum was and that it was not close to where we were; and the museum was closed today.

So she takes me there anyway so we can find it the next time we're in Kyoto. When I try and pinpoint it on the map, I see where I went wrong. Next to the words, “Kaleidoscope Museum”, is a blue dot where the museum actually is. Well, I am a senior citizen!

After going to Nishiki, shopping and eating lunch, we barely made it back to the hotel on time to re-pack our bags and wait for MK Shuttle.

We're at the A.N.A. Lounge right now. When checking in, there were hardly any people checking in. The flight may be really empty. The food tonight in the lounge is a little better than the last time. They have fried noodles, several types on sushi and of course, the draft beer.

I forgot to tell all of you a story of a little health scare that I experienced. Last December, I found a lump in my back, right next to my spine. I went to my doctor and was told that it was probably a fatty deposit and I should have it looked at by a surgeon.

When I see the surgeon, he tells me that I should get an ultrasound done. The result was that it wasn’t a fatty deposit, but a swollen Lymph node. I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do. After seeing several people go through Chemo, I decided that I would forgo that kind of treatment as I wanted to live life to live and not live to get treatments. I would be willing to go through surgery but not Chemo. At that point, I also decided that I didn't want any of my friends or family to know as I wanted to be treated normally by everyone. After exploratory surgery, it turned out to be only a fibrous fatty deposit. What is learned is this. It's good to practice living a good life style, exercising, etc. But as for as watching what I eat (I'm pre-diabetic, have high triglycerides, high cholesterol and have high blood pressure), I will no longer deny myself the joy of eating what I want, as long as I don't go “berserko”. I figure if heart disease doesn't get me, the big C might. Old Okinawan saying: “It's better to live 50 years as a tiger than a hundred years as a chicken” (I made up the part about old okinawan saying but the rest is tru fac).

All of us need to find, know and accept our comfort zone. Happily, I've found mine.

CYA all soon.

lyman