Maybe...

Thinking that just maybe, some photos of Japan are due to be posted. And probably from many other places as well. How does that song go? "Anticipation..." Or more probably, "pro-cras-ti-na-a-tion..." Photos will be posted soon. Soon!

Chicago?!

Okay, not really Chicago. I'm in St. Charles for a couple of days, and finding it amusing to be living out of a suitcase again, however briefly. The small room is rather posh (also amusing, but quite nice) and is fitted out with ultra modern decor, a flatscreen tv, tidy coffee pot and servings of Colombian coffee. It almost feels like a favorite small hotel in NYC. Spouse is missing out.

Time for sleep. Tomorrow brings new ways of looking at things, oodles of inspiration and - brace meself - a guest speaker in the form of a former lead solo for the Blue Angels! Certainly sounds like a perfect day.

'Night, all.

Back, relaxed and happy

We've been home for a week now, and are very happy. It was truly a wonderful trip, and we are just beginning to realize what an adventure we had! As I look at the photos from earlier in the trip, it seems like so long ago, and each subsequent photo draws out an "oh yes, that was great!" or "remember how terrific that was?" Now to make room on the hard drive for the photos - or to make time to select at least some highlights...

Ready

Saturday evening here... another warm, sunny day, made lovelier by a visit with family. We got to meet up with Kuniko, her son Kyouichi, his wife and their two children. After a delicious lunch, we visited the graves of the 47 ronin. Now I really do have to see the movie!

As we begin our trip home in a little more than ten hours, it is time to pack. We really should have brought an empty duffle bag or two.

Looking forward to seeing everyone very soon! (And of course, to editing and posting photos and so forth... only 8,000 or so from which to choose. Easy!)

Family tomorrow

Hooray for a sunny and warm Friday morning in Tokyo! We will spend Saturday with family, so today is our last day on our own. Yesterday was terrific - the folks went on their own adventure, and Gary and I wandered through the far reaches of old neighborhoods.

Highlights:
- local artisans
- a gull version of King of the Hill (the game, not the tv show)
- something that was not mochi, despite claims to the contrary
- lots of walking
- friendly, escape-minded black cat
- a caution about "no!! smorking"
- helpful strangers
- Tony Blanco?!

Ah, parents are ready to ramble. Ciao for now...

A warm sunny day!

It is Thursday morning - warm and sunny! The weather was nice here yesterday too, so we are very much looking forward to the day. Spouse is already on a mission to secure tickets to tonight's Yakult Swallows vs Chunichi Dragons game, so the folks will be on the own, probably much to their relief. :) Tomorrow all four of us will go to the Giants vs Tigers game. But we probably won't be joined by a sumo wrestler. That's good, really, because the last time watching said sumo wrestler and his entourage enjoy McDonald's and KFC led my stomach on the same path. Not that I'm complaining!

Off we go to explore.

Tokyo-bound

Wednesday morning here. Heading for Tokyo. Beautiful and sunny and a perfect day for hiking in the Japanese alps. Or for riding in a train and taking photos of the countryside. Hope our next ryokan has internet access!

Still living, not so much blogging

Okay, so we have been terrible about blogging. Our reasons: 1) limited internet access, 2) unlimited cold symptoms, and 3) actually spending all of our time walking, seeing, eating, enjoying, etc etc etc. What an amazing trip this is! We leave Matsumoto tomorrow morning (it is now Tuesday night here) and head for Tokyo. Before we know it, we'll be plane-bound for 14 hours. What are the chances my brother will remember he said he would come pick up the folks? Quite good, right?

Recent highlights:
- friendly schoolchildren
- delicious, aromatic homemade plum wine (literally, and not that you asked or wanted to know, I am drooling at the recollection)
- lost objects
- found objects
- department stores that do not sell cameras
- snow in Japan's Alps
- warmth in the valleys
- welcoming, patient people
- surprise gifts
- familial togetherness
- general happiness

Wishing the same to you all. =^-^=

Matsumoto

Osaka was .... interesting! We have just arrived in Matsumoto (it is 2pm Monday afternoon here) and are heading to our rooms, but couldn't pass by the opportunity to toss out a free update. In retrospect, it makes sense that the upscale hotels don't offer a laptop, but it is still highly annoying :-D

Mother has taken hours of film and Father has taken so many photos that his camera is out of service (top priority today: procure new camera). For my part, my photo count is somewhere north of 7000, but I am working hard to delete the flotsam and jetsam. Or at least the flotsam. Because when a very large sumo wrestler sits four seats away at a ballgame, what is one to do but take a per kilo quantity of photos?

Other recent excitement includes whale sharks and mola molas, drunken cherry blossom viewing (witnessed, not experienced personally), crescent moon over famous torii, pushy deer, steep mountain trail, creepy monkey, wild raccoons out for a moonlit jaunt, parental (shep-)herding, noisy Americans and ever so much more.

All feet are holding up well, walking shoes are performing fabulously. More soon! (Really!)

Cold, and a cold

No blogging due to nasty cold. Also, very cold outside! Leaving Kyoto for Osaka. xoxoxo to all!

Kyoto

Lightning post - we are embarking upon Day 2 in Kyoto (Thursday morning here) and ready to take a long walk. Mother and Father are happy and well and walking farther than seems reasonable to expect at 80 and 78. A longer update soon. Meanwhile, much love to all!

Yes, we live!

In fact, beyond not having internet access at our past few hotels, we have been so busy living that we haven't had time to stop into an internet cafe either. Everyone is having a wonderful time (really!)

Following Beppu, we spent a lovely day at Mt. Aso (nothing like a live volcano with sulferous gases to emphasize our "place" on the planet) (L&G, Father misread it as "sulfurious," which was just as hilarious as you might expect :-D ).

Then we headed to Kumamoto where we were dazzled by the local castle and the former residence of the highest ranking shogun ... I am so building a house like that one, one of these days, if only out of toothpicks.

We took a ferry to "somewhere on the coast on the way to" Unzen, enjoyed the pungent aromas of the onsen there, and took lots of pictures as we zipped through OBAMA (hooray!) on the way to Nagasaki.

Yesterday (Saturday) we arrived in Kitakyushu-shi, Kokura to be exact. We visited all day today with family - Chizuko, Tsurue, Mr. Ilie (Shichan's son), his wife, Michiko, Miyoko, her husband, Masaharu, and more cousins. [will respectfully add names later!]

It is now Sunday evening and we are headed off to dinner. Itadakimasu (sp?) !

Out of computer time - much more to come! xoxo to all!

Quick notes

Saturday
- Oita
- people painting a van
- "youth" in need of a loincloth
- lunch at Tokiwa - pancakes actually = CAKE!
- train ride
- tiny, hungry yellow kitty (shared pancake)
- old grocery store - no Mr. Tamada :(
- family bathhouse
- house where Lyn lived as toddler
- Camp Chickamaugua
- bats

Mother english to nihongo-o hanashimasu

It is a beautiful Saturday morning in Beppu. Sunny, bright, a little chilly, but beautiful. As with yesterday, breakfast was a small feast. We think today's fish was swordfish (yes, overfished, but I felt only tiny guilt about this 2x2 portion). Now we are full of energy to start the day.

We are heading to Oita to exchange our Japan Rail pass vouchers for the real thing. After one too many exciting moments with plane tickets and boarding passes and luggage claim tickets, I decided that I will be in charge of carrying everyone's rail passes. If lost, you are simply out of luck and cannot buy them in country, so it is a little like carrying a few loose diamonds in one's pocket.

After Oita, we are going up into the hills of Beppu to see if the folks can recognize any of their old stomping grounds. While driving yesterday, we passed a green, lovely park that used to be Father's military camp. He recognized the location, and is looking forward to seeing what else may bring back memories. For my part, I am looking forward to the stories that will come along with them. For instance, I learned how Father and Dickie Lee Poole got tickets for riding their bikes too quickly downhill on main street. Picture that for a moment :)

All right - off to adventure!

We have arrived!

We are in Beppu．Ｕｈ－ｏｈ．Ｉｔ　ａｐｐｅａｒｓ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ａｃｃｉｄｅｎｔａｌｌｙ　ａｃｔｉｖａｔｅｄ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　．．．　ｗｅｌｌ，　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈａｔ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｄｏｉｎｇ。　Ａｎｙｗａｙ，　ｗｅ　ｓｐｅｎｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｙ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｈｉｋｏ，　Ｋｕｎｉｋｏ　ａｎｄ　Ｆｕｃｈａｎ．　Ｔｉｍｅ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｖｉｓｉｔｉｎｇ．　Ｓａｙｏｎａｒａ！

Long time

It has been a while. We are getting ready to head back out into the world.

Traveling

.... There he goes.

August 3, 1966 - January 7, 2009

Until next time, friend.
. .