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 6th floor. It was a bit confusing when we
first got here. When using the elevator, it will always stop on the
6th 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
