A real laptop:
Here I sit, zooming across Japan at over 200 miles an hour, with a lap top on my lap top. We made the 4:09 Nazomi (bullet train) to Tokyo after an exciting and crazy last 8 hours in Kyoto.
Dad was really sad to leave our 1st class home. He didn’t want to give his key up hoping someday he could get back on, or if he had a ladder to climb up the side. I am afraid if any of you go on a cruise with any of us again, you might have to hear, “Well when we were on the Asia cruise ….this….and that….. “until you are just sick of hearing it. We admitted we may never go on another cruise as nothing could compare to it.
We woke, showered and had breakfast, (making raisin bun, peanut butter and jam sandwiches for our lunches. (and just eating them now you wouldn’t believe how delicious they taste.) Then debarking at 8:00 AM we ordered up two taxi’s, Then with 5 large bags, 6 bags and backpacks and two silk comforters in tow, along with a wheelchair that drops it legs every once in while, we made it to the train station. One on the meter for $11.40 and one by quote for $20.00. As I went to pay them both I demanded the meter price…..and got it.
Next was a 25 minute bullet train to Kyoto. Taxi’s as so expensive here that we are attempting a Bus Day Pass for just $6.00 a person. We really saw the city, the old way. Kyoto was the capital of Japan before Tokyo, with over 1000 temples and shrines. We went to just 3. We began at Sanjusangendo Hall, “originally founded Temple in 1164. One of the most visually stunning sights with 1,001 wooden statues of the thousand-handed Kannon. Row upon row, these life-size figures, carved from Japanese cypress . They don’t really have a thousand hands, just 40 each, idea being that each hand has the power to save 25 worlds. There are additional other 30 statues represent Kannon’s disciples, the hall stretches almost 400 feet long, the longest wooden building in Japan. Sorry, postcards only as no photo are allowed inside.
Then a long long bus ride with us truly stuffed like sardines into a hot canned bus. This I did take a picture of. It was a riot. Once even the bus driver got out of his seat in the front of bus, came to the back door when people got on, and shoved peoples butts until we could fit 4 more people in, and shut the door. It was really quite funny.
Next stop, Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) Constructed in 1390’s. But a disturbed student monk burned in down in 1955. It was rebuilt and recovered in gold leaf, five times thicker than original coating. Over $5,000,000 worth of gold to cover it. You almost need sunglasses to look at it on a sunny day.
Last and truly the least was Ryoanji Temple. Most famous Zen rock garden!!! But we had to climb stairs to get to it so Dad stayed below. Laid out at the end of the 15th century…15 rocks (about the size of a suitecase)set in waves of raked white pebbles. “sit here and contemplate what the artist was trying to communicate.” Well that would be nice if you were the only one there but there were hundreds of people filing through to enjoy the “meditation” spot. We took a picture then climbed back down, picked up Dad and headed to the bus stop for our 6th bus of the day, then arrived back to catch the bullet train to Toyko. So here I sit.
10:30 PM: Well in the dark and hot underground of Tokyo we wondered around for a long time getting various directions and help from many people. Too us 90 minutes to get to our hotel that is just about 2 miles away. Strange here: Only a few of the big street have names. You just have to look on the map and count blocks. And the buildings all received their addresses by when they were built, not where they are located….so there is no rhyme or reason to finding an address. And Ed and I sware that the Marriott is not where they say it is…but three blocks away., according to names on streets. Even two of the maps have different names for the street it is on. We tried to tell them and tell them their map was wrong but they don’t believe us. But we are both so sure we are right and they are wrong. We’ll see if we can find our way home tomorrow any better.
We were willing to sacrifice and go to a Denny’s just across the street for dinner thinking we could order something familiar. But no….it was all in Japanese and it was the strangest menu with all pictures, and kindof scary pictures at that. You couldn’t even tell what 9/10 of the food was. And even just on the menu, there were definitely floaties swimming in the soups. I thought I could almost see them moving. Dad and I settled for a sandwich, Ed for speghetti, and Kriss ordered a sliced Mango. What will breakfast time bring???? Possibly fast day. I am going to get on lds.org and see who far we are from church. Desk clerk at Marriott didn’t know.
More tomorrow.
Love to you all.
Pam
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