Sometimes We Need Fuzzy Creatures Badly

Time for another day trip: this time to Nara, the old old capital of Japan. For reference, Tokyo is the current capital. The immediately prior capital was Kyoto, and Nara preceded that. We have heard that Nara is a great spot for a day trip from Kyoto. The train ride took us about 40 minutes, […]

P and I Agree About Osaka

It is election day back home. When we planned this trip, we noticed that it would fall during the election, and shrugged at it. In retrospect this was a brilliant decision, as things have been ugly, and now I think I’ll do it every four years. There is a lot to see in Kyoto, but […]

Time for Temples!

The jet lag this trip is killing me, much more so than usual. In the past a 12 hour flip hasn’t been this difficult. I need to take melatonin tonight – hopefully that will help realign my schedule This morning we tried the breakfast buffet at the hotel. In addition to western offerings, such as […]

The Bullet Train Needs a Prettier Face

Arrival in Japan was easy. We passed quickly through customs and immigration, where we were fingerprinted and photographed, and found an ATM. Money is potentially a concern here. All of the guidebooks state that credit cards aren’t widely accepted, and most Japanese ATM’s don’t accept foreign cards. The exceptions are Seven Eleven, the post office, […]

I Don’t Speak Japanese. I’m Going Anyway

At precisely 5:25 PM, the Boeing 777-300 woke with a beastly rumble and backed away from the gate at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. As we taxied toward the runway, the setting sun hung low on the horizon, searing my retinas through the starboard window adjacent to my seat in row 10. The massive jet eventually […]