Pics #4



Update 4

I actually didn't mean to include the picture of Noah being on the Dean's List with the last set of pictures…but I guess bragging about a gson isn't a bad thing!
Now we feel like we know a few more ways to pitch in & help. Seems there's always something that needs cleaning, ways to help the cook and a man who needs a smile or pat on the back. We have made a good connection with a few. There's Alitio, who has a disease that has quickly put him in bed full time with the use of only one arm. He is one of the few who speaks English so we visit him often. Just 18 months ago he was a computer analyst and teacher. Now drs don't know what's causing his rapid decline. He knows he's dying. He has zero family. He feels lucky to be here & is eager for us to visit. And there is Miguelito. He has been here for years because his mom died when he was very young & he has Down syndrome. He is the best worker here. He dries dishes after every meal…as fast as I can wash them. Then he gives me a huge smile & high five. Another man recently escaped so Roger drove Sister Anita around looking for him & to the police station to report him missing. She says he is not dangerous but without his meds, he will be hearing voices in his head. There's 28 men with various disabilities here all getting lots of TLC. In spite of their own disability, I see them helping each other walk, eat, move wheelchairs and just chat. Those who can have jobs & all seem to enjoy watching movies.
Yesterday a local youth group came with boundless energy and filled the building with chatter, singing, dancing and giving lots of hugs. Most of them were 16-17 yrs old and knew some English. They eagerly asks us questions & freely told us about themselves. When they asked what I wanted them to sing, I suggested their national anthem. They sang it with gusto arm-in-arm and dancing. They eventually got us & a man who could to dance with them. Before they left, they set up a WhatAp group, took selfies & recorded us telling their English teacher how well they did speaking to us. Meeting these "real" kid is one of the bonuses we get when we volunteer locally. Just doesn't happen when we're tourist.
Yesterday Sister Anita asked Rog to be her driver the next morning so he was up early & ready to go…but then she said she wanted my to go also…so I jumped out of bed & was out the door in 10 min. Off we went in their quite new van along with 2 nuns & a young girl who's been here testing her desire to be a nun. There's roads were good & traffic fairly light so with the help of Google Map, we found all the stops needed: hospital, pharmacy and two other M of C centers. One for AIDS patients & other for girls with disabilities. I certainly felt that God provided when we happened to be waiting for the nuns by the pharmacy…which was next to a store with a COKE banner! I quickly ran in, got by Coke Zero (no Diet Coke) & along with the peanuts I always carry, had my normal 11 lunch! While we waited at most stops, I gave simple English lesson to the young girl thinking about being a nun. As it turned out, Sister was right to have me come as I could read the Google Map directions to Rog so he could concentrate on driving. Stop signs don't exist so when he came to a 4 way, he had to slow down & figure out if he needed to stop. We both enjoyed Sister Anita's stories as we were about the areas & shops we were passing. As we arrived back, she said she was glad she did not have to pay a driver because they charge a lot. Roger teased her saying since it was his vacation time, he charged double. She just grinned & said you will get your pay in heaven. We were back at 2, dinner prep at 4, served dinner at 6, cleaned up & were back to our "villa" by 7. We heated up some left overs from yesterday: country fried steak, instant potatoes & homemade pizza with caramelized onions…all we'd helped prepare yesterday. It had been a full, hot day and we were glad the temperature had cooled down so we could sleep well.





Pics #3



Update 3

FYI **Obviously didn't edit my last update as I said I was editing…false news. NOT editing.

Today it was time to head to Zarate where the Missionaries of Charity nuns were waiting for us. But how to get there?? Normal train service was out of order so we took an Uber to the first train station operating…about 45 min away. Then thanks to a very kind young man, we got our tickers & found where we'd board. He was so happy to help and later actually returned to give us a bag of Argentina candy & ask for a selfie. He wouldn't accept pesos but gladly took American dollars. The train was ancient looking & very, very basic. It was about 30% full and there were 6 bikes too. Soon after we left the station, the police man guarding the doorway told us to put up our windows which were almost impossible to see out of. A man explained to us that people throw rocks at the train. Before long, we passed by dilapidated shacks, trashy yards, burned out cars. Worse we'd seen in Argentina. I didn't take pictures as I was sitting close to many locals. After about 5 miles, we came to weedy open spaces, expressways and a series of small towns with parks, sports fields, skate parks, 2 story homes & rather new tall apartment buildings. We passed by a well manicured golf course with mansions on one side…and poor houses on the other. As we got closer to the port city of Zarate, huge manufacturing plants & warehouses were next to transfer stations. Zarate was the last stop and a pleasant surprise as it was mostly a nice town. Uber didn't work so a kind man offered to get us a taxi & we soon were at the M of C compound. The gate keeper opened the gate with a big smile & Sister Anita was soon there to greet us. She speaks very good English as do many of the M of C nuns (think Mother Teresa) as it is the common language of their order of nuns. I'd spoken to her several times on WhatsApp, her suggestion! Who knew nuns were so tech savvy?? Sister Anita gave us a quick tour of the hoe that houses 29 men with a variety of issues. Six nuns & several staff feed, bathe, exercise, care & love them. Sister showed us our "villa" near the end of the rather large compound surrounded by a wall. It has 5 simple bedrooms, a large basic kitchen/dining room, bathroom & a front sunny area. We'll be very comfortable here! They even stocked our frig with cheese, ham, fruit & water and bread & crackers were on the table. We feel mighty blessed! After getting our stuff situated, we were soon mopping floors & hanging clothes to dry. This place is spotless. Heard of the saying: Cleanliness if next to Godliness?? The nuns must have! We helped dish up dinner plates, fill water glasses & then it time to wash all those dished. Next more sweeping & mopping floors. At 7, we walked to a very close restaurant for a dinner of fresh bread, grilled chicken, Fr fries, a beer & a Pepsi Black (diet). We devoured that meal. Found a Coke Zero at a little nearby store so I'm set for tomorrow. Two tired people hit the sack @9:30 wondering how did we get so lucky??




Pics for #2



Update 2

*FYI: I am taking the time to edit my writing…just trying to record our trip so someday when I'm too old to travel…I can re-live it!

Checked off the last of our packing list & headed to Ben's by 9 am. He dropped us off at the airport, flew to Dallas & had a 7 hr layover & then arrived in Buenos Aires around 10 am the next day! (Note +2 hour time difference). McD, Burger King & Outback were there ready to greet us! We grabbed an Uber & headed for our hotel. I got Verizon on the line because our data plan didn't kick in…it took about 1 1/2 hrs to successfully get it working! Meanwhile, we juggled our cell phones which had to be hooked to our power pack & our luggage all the while trying to get into our hotel room. Exhausting but it worked ! Then we went out in search of food & quickly found empanadas in a small local stand. We walked by a McD & Kentucky. Back in our hotel room, we took a power nap then went off to check out the block we're on. The highlight of the day was a show at Senor Tango. And what a show it was! Two & a half hours of precision dancing, live band, elaborate outfits & terrific vocalists. The grand finale included an awesome & inspiring rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." Almost made me cry!
Our Uber driver back to our hotel was a young man who seemed wise beyond his years as we talked about the Argentina & US political climate. He said Argentina is filled with good people & we all just need more empathy. I think that's true for all countries. We crashed at 12:30 am.
Day 2 started after a light hotel breakfast before catching the Hop-on-Hop-off bus at 9:30 a.m. Riding on the top deck catching the breeze under a bright, blue sky and hot sun, we passed by most of the iconic sites & buildings while listening to a recorded descriptive narrative. We hopped off in China Town for lunch & a stroll and then finished the 3 hour tour. We were impressed with Buenos Aires: lots of trees & open spaces, orderly traffic, public busses every where, clean and so many ornate buildings with unique architecture! We did see lots of tall housing units that looked pretty shabby on our way into the city coming from the airport yesterday so assume that's where most the workers live.
By 3 it was time to get out of the 90 degree temp & rest. Around 5 we headed back out and though it was drizzling, we walked toward the Central Park to the palace where Evita gave her last speech from the balcony to thousand of her devoted countrymen. It seemed appropriate that it was sprinkling…Don't Cry for me Argentina! Luckily we were also able to go inside the home cathedral of Pope Francis. The sun came out on our walk back. What a full day of enjoying Buenos Aires!






Update 1





Well we're off again!  Headed for Buenos Aires first, then Uruguay and finally Chile before going back to Buenos Aires to fly home March 27.  Here's your opportunity to opt out of my way-too-detailed updates.  Really I mean it…you will NOT hurt my feelings if you ask to get removed!!  And for those who asked, I've included my blog site where previous trips are recorded.

 http://rogerandjane.blogspot.com/

Hope you stay healthy and in touch!!  I will be able to receive emails😀and get WhatsApp phone calls & messages😀. 

Jane





Final Bits & Pieces

Unusual sites:  black Q-Tip's, go cart city tours, sink on toilet tank cover, auto open car doors, buttered bread packaged & sold at store, eating while standing up at counter in McD

 

Things we noticed:  lots of dark clothing & thick heeled shoes; red lipstick contrasting black, straight hair & white complexion; mostly traditional tiled roofs; solar panels; lots of cell phones; rice paddies & fish ponds often in center of town/group of homes; sculptured trees; gas $5 a gallon; wild bamboo forest; face mask fairly common; many  men dressed in suits & women in skirts; most homes in central location & similar to all homes; only a couple luxury homes

 

Public Transportation:  efficient; cheap ($16 for 4 hr train ride); spotless, even the windows; loud speaker announcement:  No leakage of music.  Take your trash home;  People lined up, entered & exited in a single line quickly & orderly.

 

Japanese people:  quiet, reserved, orderly, neat, kind, law abiding (bikes generally not locked up anywhere)

 

Final Thoughts:

We had hoped to experience a different culture.  We certainly did.  We, again, felt extremely fortunate to have had another great trip…and glad we could quickly get home. 

Update #18

I've been home a week now.  Yesterday we buried my sister, Sal.  It's been a sad whirlwind.  Here's the rest of our trip:

 

Another train trip got us to Fukuoka, a major port city.  We found our Airbnb & enjoyed the afternoon sun sitting on our balcony over this large, modern city.  Around 4, we headed out to find the central park.  Lots of people were there many jogging, strolling, and walking dogs.  A couple of islands had connecting bridges so you could cross to the other side of the large pond.  Lots of large swan paddle boats were filled with smiling people and the ducks swam close begging for food.  Quite pleasant.  It was time to find dinner and to my delight, we found pizza!!   Rog got roti—good but not as good as my pizza!   Back at our Airbnb, we filled the washing machine available for our use and then hung our clothes to dry.  Imagine how satisfying it felt to put all clean clothes back in our suitcases.  First time since we left Pittsburgh on Feb 13.  It's times like this that make us appreciate all our luxuries at home.  Though we both agree that the warm toilet seats & bidets are a luxury we need.  We had a folk museum on our agenda today where we walked through a traditional machiya (house) that was the home to a silk merchant.  The weaver was set up and many items made from the fine material on display.  Loved the enclosed garden.  An attached building housed lots of local items and we watched a film about the annual festival, The Yamkasa.  To honor the sun god, men carry a massive, tall & overly decorated float (think Madri Gras but with no wheels).  Must weigh tons! Each part of town builds one and then they race with each other.  The film caught the excitement of the crowd and the exhaustion of the men who carried them.  The after sun was bright as we climbed into a boat 😊 and cruised down on the several canals in this town nicknamed Canal City.  It's also called the Food Truck Central so after dark, we took a walk through that chaos…and the got a sandwich at the local bakery and went back to our Airbnb to eat. 

That's when we got the news that Sally had taken a major turn for the worst.  She'd been in the hospital over a week & I'd talked to her just a couple of days ago.  I slept fitfully with my phone by my head.  By morning, she was gone.  Rog cancelled the reservations we'd made for the next couple nights, we packed up & headed to the airport.  Luckily, we were in Fukuona with a large airport.  We got lots of help from a kind lady at the ticket counter who in the end, advised Rog to just get a ticket online.  Within an hour, we had new tickets.  We flew to Tokyo, (about a 13 hour flight, so we landed a half hour before we left thanks to time zones…), then Atlanta and finally Pittsburgh.  Jake picked us up, we got to bed around 1, got up to hug the kids & Sarah as they left for school and then got in our car and headed home.  Home to my heartbroken siblings & their families and my kids & gkids.  In 2012, I was in China when my mom died.  You can be very far from home…but family is always close to your heart. 

Pics #18



Sad

We are on our way to the airport. My sister, Sally just died. She had a heart attack and was improving until she wasn't. My heart is breaking for her 3 kids and 3 young gkids. Sally is 5 years younger than me. It makes me realize how quickly things can change.

Update #18

We got off the train in Asa. Gotta be honest, after walking around a bit and getting blank stares when we tried to ask about attractions, we wondered why we'd reserved 2 nights here. The hotel room was ok & we did each to to the onsen in the hotel (men/women separate). Since you don't wear bathing suits, I was glad I was the only one in mine! We found a local place to eat where an older woman was working as fast as she could making okonomiyaki…a traditional dish that combines noodles, cabbage, eggs, bread crumbs & shrimp. On the hot griddle at our table, she cook the bacon for short minute and then poured the mixture on top of it. After 10-15 min, she flipped it and cooked the other side another 10 minutes. Then she brushed it with a thick sweet sauce (like Hoisin) & sprinkled spices on it and tada…ready to eat. We'd had this once before so we knew it'd be good. Back in our room, we played some cards & tried to figure out how we'd fill the next day. Thought we'd hop the train & head to a nearby town. Our hotel had a huge buffet breakfast (think dinner). Rog filled up on a variety of local foods while I ate some yogurt. Then we headed to the train station. On the way, I noticed a group of men setting up what looked like a stage. I went over & a sky why & thanks to Goggle translator and a guy who spoke some English, found out there was going to be a Hina Doll Festival starting in an hour. So we scrapped the train plans. Rog had noticed some bikes by our hotel, so inquired about renting one & for $1.50, he was a happy biker! The town ladies were setting up bazaar & food tables so I checked that out. One table was set up so kids could do origami art. As I looked on, I was given the materials and thanks to the kids around me, I now have one myself. Around 11, Rog came back and the drumming started…loud & with a great beat. Most of the drummers were young & the guy setting up who knew some English, well he was the drum teacher. As we were watching the performance, a young lady who heard us speaking English approached us and introduced herself, Juicy Mae (Jumae Lina's). Soon we were best friends. She is from the Philippines and is here teaching English. She hung with us the next couple hours often introducing her students to us and encouraging them to practice their English with us. We were in lots of selfies! After the drumming ended, about 20 girls (3-18 yrs old) dressed in elegant kimonos lined up and after lots of pictures, paraded single file to the shrine that overlooked the river. Once there, a prayer for good health was said & then each girl was given a paper boat with an emperor & an empress inside. One by one, the boats were lowered into the river. Because Juicy & I were standing close, we were each given a boat too! We trailed ours as they went down the river & over small waterfalls cheering when they popped up after each. We both were happy that our boats were still afloat for as far as we could see! Surely good health for all my girls…the symbolic meaning of the event! We then headed back to the center of the festival & Juicy got a bowl of noodle soup & I got popcorn!! It wasn't buttered or salted rather peppered & sprinkled with ground parsley but close enough and since there was a Coke machine close by (which there is on most every corner), I got my Coke Lite and I was a happy girl. We sat chatting about school. Juicy says she loved teaching here as she has NO discipline issues and pay is much better. She said the Japanese are taught young to live in harmony. Harmony-what a beautiful word. Rog joined us after a bit and caught the tail end of a group of kids dancing to hip-hop music. Juicy had to leave to teach an online class but first we exchanged contact info. Spending time with her had been such a lucky experience! Rog then went to buy some soup & the women were so excited they bowed & laughed like teenagers. Around 2, clean up began so we were finishing up when the drummer teacher came over to introduce us to his young son. We gave him a balloon & he just belly laughed & started blowing it up. With just a few more hrs of daylight, I also rented a bike & off we rode through several neighborhoods getting an up close look. Rog spotted a barber so we stopped in as his hair needed a trim. An hour later, after a major trim, hot lather shave of his neck, chin & forehead and a massage of his head & shoulders…he was a new man and just $23 less in his wallet. Today was a great example of the reason we don't get too rigid in our planning & just grab on to whatever pops up!!

Update #17

Our next train ride took us to Iwakuni. As we stood talking about how we'd get to our hotel, a man came over & after chatting a bit, we were in his car headed to our hotel. Thanks Brian from Indiana! We picked this stop mostly because we wanted to stay in a shipping container. Called The Yard, there were two rows of 15 each facing each other and about 2 ft between them. These shipping containers were still on wheels with the trailer hitch. There were called Rescue Containers and designed to be moved quickly to any disaster location. There are about 25 similar set-ups in Japan. Great idea! Inside was amazingly spacious with double bed, narrow desk with chair, small frig, microwave & what seems the usual tiny bathrooms we've had almost everywhere. It even had a window! When we checked in, we were given two frozen dinners. Bonus!
We had arrived much before check in time so went in search of lunch & found an Indian restaurant with naan that melted in your mouth. Next we headed toward the 3rd most beautiful bridge in Japan, Kintaikyo with its 5 stone arches. As you cross, you climb up & over the arches enjoying the fast running river below. On top of a mountain overlooking it, sits the castle, of course. We rode a tram up the mountain getting a great view of the bridge & valley below. We skipped the castle. Kinda castled out. Back at The Yard, we popped our frozen dinner in the microwave and called it a day…a good day!
Back on the train @ 9:30, we slowly passed through mostly small town & fields with mountains on one side & ocean on the other. It was an easy way round get a glimpse of the lives of people outside a big city. Gardens, cloth lines & the occasional person going in or out of their home or store gave me a tiny window into their lives…which I love.


Pics for #17

Update #16

Hiroshima Peace Museum. It's hard to put into words how I felt today as we moved slowly & silently shoulder to shoulder along the route that took us past first a large wall showing Hiroshima before 1945…and then after Aug 6, 1945. The pictures were gruesome and horrifying. The photographers who took them told how their tears made it hard to focus their cameras but felt the world needed to see this. The extreme pain & fear in the eyes of the victims bore a hole in me and the words of the survivors tore at my heart. Why keep looking, I kept asking myself. But it seemed so disrespectful, so unfair to the victims for me to walk away. Also, most of the crowd around me were Japanese. How would they feel if I just walked away? Like I didn't care? The museum honored the victims by not only displaying photos & film and plaques with explanations…but also clothing, personal items, parts of buildings & bridges found in the rubble. The stories of the survivors were raw with pain. One section traced the life of Sadako. I had read that story to my students many times. I knew it well. But seeing pictures of her when she was 2…at the time of the explosion and then several before she died of leukemia at 12…made it so much more real. Many of the tiny cranes she had folded were also there. She had so hoped that the folklore that said a person who folds 1000 cranes would be granted a wish was true. We have seen so many strings of folded cranes in windows, shrines, temples & in displays. Her spirit is so alive still. The numbers of others who died on Aug 6 and later as a result, is staggering. It's important to note the Japanese did not portray the US in a negative light. In fact, they stated that "their country initiated hostilities against the US and other countries." The final area of the museum was dedicated to the need to reduce the number of nuclear bombs and in hope to eliminate them totally. It was a strong cry for peace.
As we excited the museum, it was raining. Really the first rain we've had in Japan. It seemed so appropriate & symbolic like walking through the tears that have fallen in this city.
The next day, the sun came out so we headed for Peace Park filled with memorials: the cenotaph with the names of known victims, eternal flame, praying family, Children's Peace statue of Sadako, Peace Bell, a pillar ( which was the only remains of their school) with the names of the 650+ students & teachers who were killed there were etched, several trees that survived and fountains representing the thirst of those burned. Looming in the background is the skeleton of the A-Bomb Dome. As I approached the center of cenotaph for the victims, about 40 very young Japanese students stood in front of it singing a sweet song. Though I'll never know the lyrics of the song, I'll never forget the moment.
From there we went down into the National Peace Memorial Hall where pictures of the victims & stories of the hibakusha (explosion-affected person) were stored. One huge, round room had a 360 picture of the destroyed city with a waterfall in the center as the cry for water was heard throughout the city on Aug 6. Sobering…and yet we had been approached twice today by excited students wanting to practice their English by interviewing us. They laughed & were having a great time & then let us take their pictures before giving us origami gifts with thank you neatly printed on them. They gave me a generous dose of hope for the future. As you look around Hiroshima, it's quite astonishing to see how they've rebuilt this city which now looks like so many other modern cities. They also rebuilt the castle originally built in 1590 & the Shukkeien gardens. Visiting them was soothing. Lots of blooming cherry & plum trees greeted us there. Here also, hope bloomed in my heart!!

Update #15

We took the train from Nara to Himeji. When we came to one of the stops on the way to Himeji, everyone got off which clued us in that we should get off. We noticed most crossed to the other side of the platform, so we did too & after questioning someone, found out that the train we were on would be going back to Nara. This happened one more time before we finally arrived in Himeji. We dropped our bags off at our hotel & then headed to the Himeji History Museum…but one the way, we found ourselves in the middle of a crowd where we saw all these people dressed up in elaborate costumes! We started snapping pictures which they seemed to encourage. Imagine seeing kids dressed in outrageous, darling, clever, silly, scary, remarkable and darn right funny costumes. We did not recognize most of the characters they were dressed like but it was sure entertaining!! (Later I looked it up & they were a cosplay mix of a popular anime movies). There was a two stage shows with performers singing & dancing. And a parking lot full of cars also "dressed" up! Just a unique spot to just happen to run into. To top it off, they sold those most delicious waffles mothered in whip cream & chocolate! The History Museum was not nearly as exciting but we did learn more about this area especially the 1995 earthquake. Next morning we headed out to see why we came to Himeji, the castle. Who doesn't want to see the castle known as the White Heron Castle?? It 's perched on the top of the highest point around & surrounded by a moat. After being asked to take our shoes off, in our stocking feet, we climbed up seven narrow & steep staircases with each floor empty but it you sure got the feel of the vastness of each floor. From the top you got a bird's eye view of the city and the castle garden, which is where we headed next. Known as the Koko-en, it was designed with lots of benches where you could rest and take in the beauty…which after climbing up & down 7 stories, we thoroughly enjoyed. the garden was just ready to fully pop with just the daffodils & camellia bushes blooming. The many stone pathways led you by manicured trees & bushes and over & around a fast moving stream which dumped into a large pond where colorful carp were swimming. Lovely hardly describes it. In the exit building, we were treated to several blossoming cherry & plum bonsai trees!! So we did all that we came to Himeji for…and more…so tomorrow we're taking the bullet train to Hiroshima.

Update 14

You might be getting this twice?!

Nara was the first capital of Japan in 700 AD so it is filled with ancient buildings most of which have been or are being reconstructed. Original audience hall, shrines & temples galore to see. All humongous, decorative with traditional curved roofs. Unfortunately the palace & 5 story pagoda were tented & being worked on so we didn't get to see them. We stayed 3 days so we visited most of the rest of them. The Todaiji Temple was the most impressive with its 17' tall bronze Buddha flanked by two bodhisttua (soon to be Buddhas). The temple is the largest wooden structure in the world. In 728 AD, the emperor decreed that everyone was to help build it so over 1/2 the population at the time (2 1/2 million) worked on it! Long ago someone gifted deers to the emperor so today hundreds of them roam freely over the large grounds. Somehow they keep the poop cleaned up. While we were there, a group of elementary school kids with their clipboards interviewed us and we in turn, interviewed them. Great way to practice English! Close by was the lovely Isuien Gardens. Peaceful, well groomed green space with a frolicking stream running through it which has stone bridges you could cross on. Our next stop was to admire a display of darling porcelain face dolls dressed in traditional clothing. Some serving tea and others playing instruments. The cultural center was our next stop which was home to several statues & articles found during the excavation around this area. Yakushiji Temple was another temple in the area which has been around for just 1300 yrs. It was flanked by two 3 story pagodas. I love seeing pagodas! That temple also had a huge Buddha and had recently been restored. The building next to it was set up for monks to copy sutras (sacred Buddha teachings) which they sell and use the money to pay for restoration. It was time for another view of the area so we just walked around a small town just outside the temple. It appeared to have lots of nice single family homes with just a few unkept apartment buildings. There were several large gardens which seemed to be for the community surrounding it. The gardens had onions & lettuce growing and lots of space for more spring planting. Also we saw several rice paddies with cement sides not in use. Maybe later?? We had one more shrine to see, Kasugataisha Shrine famous for the thousands of bronze & golden lanterns that adorn it. Walking up the hill to it you pass hundreds of cement pillars with lanterns on top that are covered in moss and have plants growing out of them. The whole temple is surrounded by a dense forest. Here too deer roam freely as they are believed to be messengers of deities. Each year in December since 1136 AD there is a huge festival with dancers, monks & horses. That's one long time tradition!
Just a quick side note: our Airbnb is like living in a RV! Just a little space on the side of the bed, TV trays to set up next to bed, and the smallest, shortest frig I've ever seen. The bathroom sink faucet can be turned to fill the half size tub & turn on the shower. You can brush your teeth sitting on the heated toilet seat! It's close to the bus stops & train station so it's been a fun little, truly little place to be!




Update #14

Nara was the first capital of Japan in 700 AD so it is filled with ancient buildings most of which have been or are being reconstructed. Original audience hall, shrines & temples galore to see. All humongous, decorative with traditional curved roofs. Unfortunately the palace & 5 story pagoda were tented & being worked on so we didn't get to see them. We stayed 3 days so we visited most of the rest of them. The Todaiji Temple was the most impressive with its 17' tall bronze Buddha flanked by two bodhisttua (soon to be Buddhas). The temple is the largest wooden structure in the world. In 728 AD, the emperor decreed that everyone was to help build it so over 1/2 the population at the time (2 1/2 million) worked on it! Long ago someone gifted deers to the emperor so today hundreds of them roam freely over the large grounds. Somehow they keep the poop cleaned up. While we were there, a group of elementary school kids with their clipboards interviewed us and we in turn, interviewed them. Great way to practice English! Close by was the lovely Isuien Gardens. Peaceful, well groomed green space with a frolicking stream running through it which has stone bridges you could cross on. Our next stop was to admire a display of darling porcelain face dolls dressed in traditional clothing. Some serving tea and others playing instruments. The cultural center was our next stop which was home to several statues & articles found during the excavation around this area. Yakushiji Temple was another temple in the area which has been around for just 1300 yrs. It was flanked by two 3 story pagodas. I love seeing pagodas! That temple also had a huge Buddha and had recently been restored. The building next to it was set up for monks to copy sutras (sacred Buddha teachings) which they sell and use the money to pay for restoration. It was time for another view of the area so we just walked around a small town just outside the temple. It appeared to have lots of nice single family homes with just a few unkept apartment buildings. There were several large gardens which seemed to be for the community surrounding it. The gardens had onions & lettuce growing and lots of space for more spring planting. Also we saw several rice paddies with cement sides not in use. Maybe later?? We had one more shrine to see, Kasugataisha Shrine famous for the thousands of bronze & golden lanterns that adorn it. Walking up the hill to it you pass hundreds of cement pillars with lanterns on top that are covered in moss and have plants growing out of them. The whole temple is surrounded by a dense forest. Here too deer roam freely as they are believed to be messengers of deities. Each year in December since 1136 AD there is a huge festival with dancers, monks & horses. That's one long time tradition!
Just a quick side note: our Airbnb is like living in a RV! Just a little space on the side of the bed, TV trays to set up next to bed, and the smallest, shortest frig I've ever seen. The bathroom sink faucet can be turned to fill the half size tub & turn on the shower. You can brush your teeth sitting on the heated toilet seat! It's close to the bus stops & train station so it's been a fun little, truly little place to be!




Update 13

Well we're off the floor and in a bed and also sitting down to go to the bathroom! The traditional Japanese bed is a 1-2" pad called a futon rolled out on a matted floor. That's been our bed since we got to Japan…which we both admit we slept fine on and we got lots of laughs out of how comical it was trying to get down & up from them! Traditional toilet is the squat type. We were glad that once we flew into Osaka, we had both a "real" bed and sit down toilet which also had a seat warmer & a bidet!
The flight was easy and since we arrived hungry, we ate at the first place we found, McD! My hamburger was similar to US but meat not quite the same and they only had Coke Zero. I ordered a large and it was almost as big as our medium. Rog got a Terriyaki chicken sandwich. We ate this like everyone else in the restaurant was eating, standing up next to a counter. Later we'd see a McD that advertised how many chairs it had! Rog then did his magic to get us to our hotel first taking the monorail, then train, then DiDi (like Uber). We just laid on our real beds for the rest of the night watching some TV (in Japanese) except for a quick trip to a Lawson's which is a small convenient store that's on most every corner!
Next morning we set out to find the National Museum of Ethnology. We took several twist & turn around a before we found it but we did. It's located on the Expo '70 grounds so we saw the huge Ferris wheel and Tower of the Sun too. The museum was huge and jam-packed with cultural artifacts from all over the world. The plaques had very little English but who reads all them anyways! We sure recognized lots from other countries we've visited. We spent extra time in the Japanese section. Actually were there over 3 hours. By the time we got back near our hotel, it was time to find dinner which we did in an Okinawa restaurant for a dish called taco salad —taco meat sauce over rice with a bit of greens. We were ready to just read our guide book & plan the next day when we got back.
Next day we were able to get around pretty efficiently! We started by going to the Osaka Castle. It was originally built in 1583 & is surrounded by a moat with massive stone wall. One of the stone used was about 12' x 20'. Imagine moving that! The castle was filled with ancient painted hangings and 20 dioramas that included holograms. They are so amazing to watch as they told some of the history of the time. Rog decided to sit out going inside the castle so just walked around the beautiful grounds until he found a good bench. A Japanese man, Takashi Saito sat down next to him and of course, they started to talk. He then handed him a folded paper parrot that he'd made. As they continued talking, he folded a butterfly, samaurin hat then peacock. He told him this was his hobby. Finally he gave him a card he'd painted Mt Fuji on that had his name on it. Rog was happy he'd found that bench. Next to the castle was a Shinto Shrine similar to the one we'd seen in Naha except filled with cherry blossoms in bloom!
Back on the subway, we headed to where we had reservations for a later show. With time to spare, we wandered around this part of town until we found a local restaurant serving squid, shrimp & egg rolls. Not the best but okay. We got to the auditorium where we had reservations for a show about 1/2 hour early hoping to get good seats. Well, all 20+ of the audience had good seats! the show, Osaka Night Fusion was pretty radical with a mix between very cultural dancing to very risqué dancing. Traditional Japanese instruments were played beautifully along with lots of loud & rapid drumming. Songs switched between more current Western music to traditional songs. Flashing lights and a constant changing video screen in the background lit up the stage vibrantly! A sword swallower, yo-yo expert, several tumblers & lots of dancing filled the one hour show. Pretty overwhelming! But guess we didn't get enough as we headed to the canal strip to see the ultimate flashing light ads. Sensory overloaded, we headed back to our hotel around 7:30. Osaka is certainly the modern, flashy Japan! We have to say it's striking how orderly the Japanese are. Everyone lines up single file to get on elevators & subways. They wait patiently for people to exit before getting on. This happened on our flights too. Never been on a flight that loaded & unloaded so quickly! Also the streets are clean as a whistle. Almost 3 million people live in Osaka but no trash anywhere. Pretty incredible. This city is filled with tall apartment buildings but the traffic is so light thanks to their excellent public transportation. And finally, another amazing thing is we see lots of bikes parked & not locked. Chris told us that many times if someone does commit a crime, he will turn himself into the police rather than bring more embarrassment to his family. We're pretty impressed!

Update 12

 Our last day in Okinawa was a chill day…both the weather which is about 50-60 F and our activity level. We were staying at a place near the beach so we could walk the beach…in our coats. We also walked to the nearest town and ate a most delicious meal of fried fish & chicken, French fries, rice and an unidentifiable soup. The town was actually a small island so we walked all around it and discovered a shop selling a waffle on a stick covered in whip cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup & chocolate chips. Best treat so far!! I spent the last hour of sunshine sitting on a lounge chair reading. The next morning, the owners & their daughter warmly hugged us & waved goodbye as we got we drove off with their friend who took us to the airport for our flight to Osaka. That seemed very fitting as we'd found all the people in Okinawa to be so friendly and kind!